From the USA’s point of view, the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty will remain in place despite the recent Russian blockade at a United Nations Review Conference a powerful tool. On Friday, Russia prevented a joint final declaration at the UN headquarters in New York, with which binding deadlines for the reduction of nuclear weapons should be reached worldwide. A total of 191 countries signed the 1970 treaty.
“Despite Russia’s cynical policy of obstruction, the fact that all other contracting states supported the final document speaks for itself essential role of the treaty in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and averting the threat of nuclear war‘ the US State Department said in Washington on Sunday.
Russia was the only country to block the final declaration to prevent wording recognizing the major nuclear risk at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, which was occupied by Russian troops. The United States again asked Moscow to stop military activities near the nuclear power plant and return control of it to Ukraine. The nuclear power plant is currently being shot at again and again. Concerns about a nuclear accident are growing internationally.
The treaty aims at nuclear disarmament. Critics complain that different rules apply to the five official nuclear powers USA, China, Great Britain, France and Russia than to signatory countries without nuclear weapons. India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea also have nuclear weapons but are not party to them.
