N.Korea Says U.S.-S.Korea Drills Push Tension to 'Brink of Nuclear War'
Hyonhee Shin | Reuters
North Korea accused the U.S. and South Korea of escalating tensions to the brink of nuclear war through their joint military drills, vowing to respond with "offensive action", state media KCNA reported on Thursday. KCNA released a commentary by Choe Ju Hyon, whom it called an international security analyst, criticising the exercises as "a trigger for driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the point of explosion".
UN Nuclear Chief Discusses Ukraine Nuclear Plant in Russia
Associated Press
The head of the U.N.’s atomic energy watchdog met with Russian officials in Kaliningrad on Wednesday for negotiations on the safety of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently held by Russian forces… “I met high level officials from several Russian agencies in Kaliningrad,” Grossi said on Twitter. “I continue my efforts to protect the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant,” he said, emphasizing that this was “in everyone’s interest.” The head of Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, was among the officials Grossi met, according to a statement by Russia’s state nuclear corporation. Likhachev informed Grossi of “the steps that are being taken by the Russian side to ensure the safe operation of the ZNPP,” while expressing that the Russian side is “ready” to work on implementing initiatives put forward by Grossi.
Belarusian Troops Begin Training on Russian Nuclear-Capable Missile System
The Moscow Times
Belarusian troops have begun training on a nuclear-capable Russian missile system following President Vladimir Putin's recent decision to deploy tactical weapons on Belarusian territory, Moscow and Minsk said on Tuesday…“An Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system has been transferred to Belarusian forces," Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday, adding that crews had begun training with the system on Monday.
Dossier Reveals Accounts of 1st High-level Diplomacy Between N. Korea, US
Yonhap
The South Korean government on Thursday made public newly declassified documents on the first-ever senior-level diplomacy in 1992 between the United States and North Korea, offering a glimpse into the diplomatic tug-of-war over the North's nuclear program.The set of mostly 1992 diplomatic documents, spanning some 360,000 pages, highlights accounts of discussions between Washington and Pyongyang amid the then reconciliatory mood fueled over the Korean Peninsula following the adoption of the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement and the Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula at the end of 1991.
The British Government Doesn’t Want to Talk about its Nuclear Weapons. The British Public Does
Tim Street, Harry Spencer, Shane Ward | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
In January 2023 British Pugwash and the polling company Savanta conducted a survey of UK public opinion on nuclear weapons issues and potential support for policies that advance nuclear arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation....Our polling results found some notable differences between the British public’s views and the policies of the UK government concerning nuclear weapons. While 40 percent of poll respondents support the United Kingdom possessing nuclear weapons, there is significant support for policies that would control, limit, or even eliminate the UK’s nuclear weapons—including among supporters of nuclear possession.
Why Would North Korea Conduct Another Nuclear Test?
Sulgiye Park | Union of Concerned Scientists
North Korea continues to conduct military exercises. Last year alone, it tested 70 missiles, including short-, medium- and long-range missiles. The year 2022 saw more missile tests from North Korea than at any time in its history…If North Korea had satisfactorily verified its nuclear capabilities as it claimed in 2017, is further testing driven predominantly by political or technical motivations?