CND Press Digest: Wednesday 16th August 2023

War In Ukraine/NATO

• The Independent: Ukraine has hit out at a NATO official’s suggestion the country could give up land to Russia as “ridiculous” amid a brewing diplomatic row. Stian Jenssen, who is chief of staff to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, suggested to reporters on Tuesday that Kyiv might have to cede territory occupied by Moscow in exchange for NATO membership, according to the Norwegian newspaper VG.
• Common Dreams speaks to Ukrainian peace activist Yurii Sheliazhenko about why Ukraine has charged him with justifying Russian aggression, days after his Kyiv apartment was raided and searched

AUKUS

• Financial Review: Defence Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy have sought to defuse party tensions over AUKUS ahead of this week’s ALP national conference by highlighting that the cost of deterrence was far less than that of going to war.
• That’s as Vladimir Putin on Tuesday suggested on Tuesday that he does not exclude the possibility of the integration of the AUKUS grouping into NATO.
• The Guardian Australia has an explainer on what to look out for from the Labor conference, including the party’s split on AUKUS.
• Michael Pascoe writes on the Awkward AUKUS debate.
• Politico reports on the mended rift between Australia and France - after relations soured when Canberra ditched a multi-billion submarine deal with Paris in favour of AUKUS
• House of Commons Library: AUKUS submarine (SSN-A) programme.

Hypersonics

• The Telegraph and Reuters on an expected announcement this week that Japan and the US will agree to jointly develop an interceptor for hypersonic missiles being developed by Russia, North Korea, and China.

Nuclear Energy

• Q&A: How China is using nuclear power to reduce its carbon emissions.
• Uranium and Nuclear Energy: Kazakhstan’s Journey Towards Powerful Global Alliance.

Iran Nuclear Deal

• Reuters: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday he could not confirm a report that Iran slowed its pace of amassing near-weapons-grade enriched uranium but would welcome any Iranian steps to de-escalate its “growing nuclear threat.”
• Press TV Explainer: Why is Iran’s supersonic cruise missile new nightmare for enemies?
• Al Jazeera: Iran says it has technology to build supersonic missiles amid US tensions.
• Modern Diplomacy: Israel’s challenges in striking Iran’s nuclear sites.

Best,

Pádraig McCarrick

Press and Communications Officer

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament