The USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group has arrived in South Korea for joint military exercises with Japan, aiming to counter escalating North Korean threats. The drills come after a security pact between Russia and North Korea raised concerns in Seoul, leading to increased military cooperation between the US, South Korea, and Japan.
In 2023, the world’s nine nuclear-armed states significantly increased their spending on nuclear weapons, reaching a combined total of $91.4 billion. This surge, driven largely by the United States, signals a growing reliance on deterrence and a modernization of nuclear arsenals, raising concerns about global security.
A Russian expert claims that Moscow can neutralize Britain and France’s nuclear arsenals within 24 hours if a global conflict were to break out. According to the expert, this move would be part of Russia’s ‘Operation Unthinkable,’ aimed at reducing the number of nuclear powers and diminishing Europe’s military influence.
Russia’s announcement of nuclear drills near Ukraine and plans to station nuclear weapons in Belarus has heightened concerns over the potential for nuclear escalation in the ongoing conflict. Despite claims of existential threats, Russia’s actions appear to be attempts at brinkmanship and coercion rather than genuine responses to imminent threats. This shift in nuclear doctrine undermines the long-held understanding of mutually assured destruction and lowers the threshold for nuclear use. It sets a dangerous precedent, encouraging other nuclear-armed states to adopt similar tactics and potentially emboldening non-nuclear states to pursue nuclear weapons.
North Korea has expressed concerns over a recent subcritical nuclear test conducted by the United States, warning that it would take necessary measures to improve its nuclear deterrence. The state-run KCNA news agency reported that the move by the US has heightened tensions in the international nuclear arms race.
