CND Press Digest: Tuesday 21st March 2023

War In Ukraine/NATO

• China’s Xi Jinping held several hours of talks with Vladimir Putin yesterday, during the first day of his state visit to Moscow – with further talks taking place today. Both have discussed a Chinese peace plan for Ukraine – which has been met with skepticism by Ukraine and allies in the West. Xi may also conduct a telephone call with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky.  
• That’s as Japan’s Fumio Kishida is en route to to visit Zelenksy in Kiev today - making him the final G7 leader to make the trip to Ukraine. It comes ahead of Japan’s hosting of the G7 summit in May – which will take place in Hiroshima.

Trident

• The three candidates looking to replace Nicola Sturgeon as head of the SNP can at least agree on something - committing to the removal of Trident from the Clyde. They also backed an independent Scotland joining NATO.

Space

• Dave Webb writes about the troubles facing the British space industry - available to read on CND’s website.
• That’s as satellite-launching operator Virgin Orbit sell 24 small modular reactor units to UK customers – removing the need for UK government funding. At £100 million a piece, the reactor design still needs UK regulatory approval and suitable sites to build them before payment is made.
• Residents of the Somerset village of Fiddington have expressed concern that they are becoming increasingly squeezed between the Hinkley Point C construction site and the continuous expansion of accommodation for the project’s thousands of workers – which has ballooned from 3,000 to over 8,000 workers.
• City AM on Newcleo’s £1 billion fundraising drive for its lead-cooled fast nuclear reactors (LFRs) and plans to build plants to manufacture fuel from existing nuclear waste.

Nuclear Energy

• Greenpeace has branded as “scandalous” France’s continued importation of enriched uranium from Russia and called on Paris to cut its ties with Rosatom if it wanted to be consistent in its support of Ukraine. A report published this month by the charity noted that French imports of uranium from Russia have actually doubled since the start of its invasion of Ukraine.

North Korea

• The US has accused Russia and China of blocking UN action on North Korea. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield used a Security Council meeting to accuse Moscow and Beijing of “obstructionism”, which in turn encouraged North Korea “to launch ballistic missiles with impunity” and advance its development of more sophisticated and dangerous weapons.

Iran Nuclear Deal

• Middle East Eye with a comment on the refreshed diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
• Iran’s economy minister told an interview with Russian news agency RIA that Tehran is only interested in the development of “peaceful” nuclear energy.

CND

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament