The Sudden German Nuke Flirtation
Ulrich Kühn
While the United States is still coming to terms with President-elect Donald Trump’s potential domestic and foreign policy, U.S. allies worldwide are becoming increasingly nervous about the incoming administration’s stance toward U.S. alliance commitments. Spurred by Trump’s warm words for Russian President Vladimir Putin, his implicit threat that Washington could scale back U.S. defense commitments to Europe if NATO members do not pay more for their own security, and his lax remarks that certain U.S. allies should perhaps be allowed to go nuclear, some prominent voices in Germany are suddenly openly flirting with the nuclear option.
Russia Tests Nuclear-Capable Drone Sub
Bill Gertz | Washington Free Beacon
Russia conducted a test of a revolutionary nuclear-capable drone submarine that poses a major strategic threat to U.S. ports and harbors. U.S. intelligence agencies detected the test of the unmanned underwater vehicle, code-named Kanyon by the Pentagon, during its launch from a Sarov-class submarine on Nov. 27, said Pentagon officials familiar with reports of the test.
Japan to Offer $2.2 Million to Iran for Nuclear Safety Cooperation
Japan Times
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Japan has decided to offer Iran around €2.05 million ($2.2 million) for nuclear safety initiatives to help the Middle Eastern state implement its historic nuclear deal with the West. “We agreed that bilateral relations are steadily making progress in a wide range of areas, including on cooperation for the steady implementation of the nuclear agreement,” Kishida told a joint news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday after talks with Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.
IAEA Meets to Strengthen Security as USA Disposes of Plutonium
World Nuclear News
The USA has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor and verify the disposition of surplus plutonium in South Carolina, US energy secretary Ernest Moniz said on 5 December. Moniz's announcement was made at an IAEA conference which aims to strengthen global nuclear security.
Climate Target 'Very Difficult' Without Nuclear, Says IEA Chief Economist
World Nuclear News
Wind and solar power are transforming the electricity industry, but not fast enough to put the world on track for the UNFCCC's Paris Agreement target to hold the global temperature increase well below 2°C, according to László Varró, chief economist of the International Energy Agency (IEA). This "climate stabilisation" target needs nuclear power to play a significant role in the low-carbon power mix, Varró told delegates at the Budapest Energy Summit yesterday.
North Korea Diplomat Says No Provocations Until Trump Clarifies Policy
Elizabeth Shim | UPI
A top North Korea diplomat said Pyongyang does not plan to engage in missile or nuclear provocations until U.S. President-elect Donald Trump makes clear his plans for a new North Korea policy. Choe Son Hui, the North Korean foreign ministry director for North American affairs, explained the country's intentions in a written statement, Radio Free Asia reported Wednesday.