CND Press Digest: Thursday 20th April 2023

Posted: 20th April 2023

War In Ukraine/NATO

The Telegraph and Sky News coverage on the claim that Russia is using vessels to spy on wind farms and offshore energy infrastructure around Britain and other countries in the North Sea, with the aim to sabotage its electricity production.
CNN: The US has sensitive nuclear technology at a nuclear power plant inside Ukraine and is warning Russia not to touch it, according to a letter the US Department of Energy sent to Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy firm Rosatom last month.
Russian officials said Thursday that the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant will stop using US-made nuclear fuel as quickly as possible. Kyiv initially switched from Russian nuclear fuel following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Denmark and the Netherlands said on Thursday that they will jointly donate 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

AUKUS

Australia’s Penny Wong called on Pacific Island nations to remain united in the face of great power competition in the Pacific, during a trip to New Caledonia. Wong also moved to dissuade concerns by the New Caledonian leadership over the AUKUS pact.

UK Nuclear Energy

Nuclear Energy

Dr Richard Dixon Oil Price on why France’s nuclear problems is leading to energy price rises.
That’s as French nuclear firm EDF said it was ending its hiring freeze - after a recent bout of strikes added further strain to its finances.

Peace & Planet

CND’s upcoming participation in XR’s The Big One is covered by The Morning Star.

Iran Nuclear Deal

Israel’s foreign minister said he was open to a diplomatic trip to Saudi Arabia,although a date has yet to be finalised. “The enemy of Saudi Arabia is certainly not Israel. Its enemy is Iran…It is precisely this thing that can lead to a balancing act of (Saudi Arabia) moving closer to Israel,” Eli Cohen said on Wednesday.

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament