Biden to Unveil New Efforts to Protect S. Korea From Nukes
AAMER MADHANI | Associated Press
President Joe Biden will use this week’s celebratory state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to underscore that the U.S. is ready to step up its efforts to deter a North Korean attack on South Korea, according to the White House. Biden will announce specific new nuclear deterrence efforts as well as a new cyber security initiative, economic investments and an educational partnership, part of an effort to highlight the breadth and depth of the two countries’ relationship as they mark the 70th anniversary of their alliance, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Belarus Units Complete Training on Russian Tactical Nuclear Missile Systems
REUTERS
Units from Belarus returned home from Russia on Saturday after training on how to use the Iskander tactical missile system to launch nuclear weapons, the Belarusian defence ministry said…Russia has not given a clear timetable for moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, but Putin said the construction of storage facilities should be complete by the start of July.
Russia Warns Again that Risks of Nuclear Confrontation with US Growing - TASS
REUTERS
Risks of a direct military confrontation between the two nuclear powers, Russia and the United States, are steadily growing, the TASS news agency quoted a senior Russian diplomat as saying on Tuesday…"If the United States continues to follow its current course of confrontation with Russia, with the stakes constantly escalating on the verge of sliding into direct armed conflict, then the fate of START (nuclear arms treaty) may be a foregone conclusion," Yermakov said.
South Korea Considers the Nuclear Option as External Threats Mount
Michael Mitsanas | NBC News
The evolving threat from North Korea, as well as South Korea’s security concerns, are expected to be high on the agenda when President Joe Biden meets with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Washington on Wednesday…Rep. Jang Hye-yeong, a member of the progressive Justice Party, said South Koreans have not fully debated the pros and cons of nuclear armament because the subject is still somewhat taboo. “If we as a country really have an honest discussion about the risks of developing our own nuclear arsenal, I believe the public’s support will decrease,” she said. Some South Koreans say they are primarily looking for reassurance.
France’s Struggle to Deliver a Second Nuclear Era
Sarah White | Financial Times
President Emmanuel Macron, who was already doubling down on the low carbon technology even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dialled up concerns across the continent over energy security, is pushing to have the first in a series of six new reactors up and running by 2035. The plans, which could be extended by at least another eight reactors, are the linchpin in France’s vision to reduce its net emissions to zero over the next three decades, in line with international agreements to limit the rise in average global temperatures.
Support for Nuclear Energy Highest in a Decade: Gallup
JULIA SHAPERO | THE HILL
Americans’ support for nuclear energy is at its highest point in a decade, according to a new Gallup poll. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they strongly or somewhat favor the use of nuclear energy as a method of providing electricity in the U.S., while another 44 percent said they oppose the use of such energy. Support for nuclear energy has steadily increased since hitting a record low in 2016, when just 44 percent supported its use, Gallup noted.