Russian President Putin warns nuclear war must never be fought, stresses it 'can't be won'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that nuclear war cannot be won and no such war should be fought. Putin made the statement in a message to participants of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). He underscored that Russia stands for equal and indivisible security for all members of the world. 

"We believe that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and we stand for equal and indivisible security for all members of the world community," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his message. 

Putin called Treaty a "key element" in the international security and strategic stability system. He emphasized that Russia follows the Treaty, according to the message released on the Kremlin website. He said that Russia expects the conference to reaffirm the willingness of all states to work on their commitment to nuclear non-proliferation to ensure peace and security in the world. He asserted that Russia's obligations under the bilateral agreements with the US on the reduction of relevant weapons have been fully realised.

The Kremlin head stressed that all NPT-compliant countries should have the right to the peaceful use of atoms without requiring any additional preconditions. He expressed Russia's willingness to share its experience in nuclear energy with its partners. Putin made the remarks in a message at the opening of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons which will take place until  26 August.

"We expect that this Conference will reaffirm the willingness of all states – parties to the NPT to strictly comply with their commitments and will make a significant contribution to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime to ensure peace, security and stability in the world," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his message. 

UN Chief urges countries to 'reaffirm' norm against use of nuclear weapons

Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned the world that humanity is "just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation." Speaking at the start of the Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Guterres emphasized that humanity is in danger of forgetting the lessons forged in the "terrifying fires of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." He said that they have been "extraordinarily lucky so far" and stressed that luck is not a "strategy" and a "shield" from geopolitical tensions that have been "boiling into a nuclear conflict." 

Guterres urged countries to "reinforce and reaffirm" the norm against using nuclear weapons. He called on countries to continue taking measures that reduce the risk of nuclear weapons and return to the path to disarmament. 

Image: AP