North Korea’s Pursuit of an ELWR: Potential Power in Nuclear Ambitions?
SULGIYE PARK AND ALLISON PUCCIONI | 38 North
Recent indications from the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) and several analysts, including experts at the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, propose that North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center’s Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR) likely began operations in October of 2023. While North Korea initially built the ELWR for energy production, concerns arise that it can be repurposed for plutonium production.
North Korea Says it Tested a Cruise Missile, Flaunting New Nuclear-Capable Weapon
KIM TONG-HYUNG AND JIWON SONG | Associated Press
The report in state media came a day after South Korea’s military said it detected the North firing several cruise missiles into waters off its western coast. It didn’t immediately provide more details about the numbers of missiles fired or their flight characteristics. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the Pulhwasal-3-31 missile is still in its development phase and that the launch did not pose a threat to neighbors. It described the missile as “strategic,” implying an intent to arm them with nuclear weapons.
As Trump Looms, Top EU Politician Calls for European Nuclear Deterrent
JAKOB HANKE VELA AND NICOLAS CAMUT | POLITICO
Facing the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House, the head of the EU's biggest political grouping is calling for Europeans to prepare for war without support from the United States and to build its own nuclear umbrella. Manfred Weber, leader of the center-right European People's Party (EPP) — currently tipped to come first in the European Parliament election in June — described Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as "the two who set the framework" for 2024…"Europe must build deterrence, we must be able to deter and defend ourselves," he said. "We all know that when push comes to shove, the nuclear option is the really decisive one."
Putin, Sisi Mark New Phase of Egypt's Russian-Built Nuclear Plant
Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Egypt's Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday inaugurated the construction of a new unit at Egypt's Dabaa nuclear power plant via video link, as Moscow moves ahead with its global nuclear ambitions. The power plant is being built by the Russian state corporation Rosatom at a reported cost of $30 billion, and will consist of four power units with a combined capacity of 4.8 gigawatts.
Ukraine to Start Building 4 New Nuclear Reactors this Year
Pavel Polityuk | Reuters
Ukraine expects to start construction work on four new nuclear power reactors this summer or autumn, Energy Minister German Galushchenko told Reuters on Thursday, as the country seeks to compensate for lost energy capacity due to the war with Russia. Two of the units - which include reactors and related equipment - will be based on Russian-made equipment that Ukraine wants to import from Bulgaria, while the other two will use Western technology from power equipment maker Westinghouse.
Why the War in Gaza Makes a Nuclear Iran More Likely
Ali Vaez | Foreign Affairs
Tehran could make a final dash for the ultimate deterrent: nuclear weapons. Doing so would have risks, but it might provide Iran with the kind of immunity North Korea and Russia have enjoyed as they confront the West. A nuclear-armed Iran could also be more brazen in unleashing its partners across the Middle East, calculating that the backlash would be limited as its enemies work to avoid Armageddon.