US and Russia reduce (minimally) quantity of nuclear weapons; China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel increase them
2017 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute report is published. Data reveals slowdown in the process of dismantling nuclear weapons: 14,935 nuclear warheads against 15,395 of the previous year. US and Russia are investing in modernizing their systems. The smallest arsenals in Asia are in full swing. Israel has 80 nuclear warheads. Pope Francis's appeal to the UN has not been heard.
Stockholm (AsiaNews) - Nine countries around the world - the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea - have about 4150 operational nuclear warheads. If all existing nuclear warheads are counted, they are 14,935 compared with 15,395 in 2016. These are the figures that emerge from the 2017 annual Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's report.
Russia and the United States possess 93% of the world's nuclear weapons. Other states active in nuclear technology have much smaller arsenals, but have announced their intention to increase their activity. No one seems willing to renounce the technology in the near future.
France is the third nuclear power in the world with 300 nuclear warheads. Great Britain follows with 215. Israel is the only Middle Eastern state possessing nuclear weapons: Sipri estimates that it has 80 nuclear warheads available. China has launched a long-term modernization program focused on the qualitative improvement of its nuclear arsenal of 270 atomic warheads. India (120-130 headed) and Pakistan (130-140 headed) are expanding their nuclear weapon stocks and developing missile delivery capabilities.
It is estimated that North Korea has enough fissile material for about 10 to 20 nuclear warheads, an increase in numbers compared to previous years. Not to mention that Kim Jong-un's regime has intensified missile tests.
In general, we can say that the commitment to the reduction of nuclear weapons in the world is slow, but investment in the industry is growing.
Russia and the United States are undergoing major and expension programs for the modernization of their nuclear arsenal. The United States intends to spend $ 400 billion in 2017-26 for the full maintenance and upgrading of its nuclear power. "The projected increases in US spending are not unexpected," said Hans Kristensen, senior Sipri associate. "The current US administration is continuing the ambitious plans for nuclear modernization set by President Barack Obama."
At the end of March, Pope Francis, in a message to an UN conference aimed at negotiating a "legally binding instrument on the prohibition of nuclear weapons, leading to their total elimination," had called for reflection: "We need also to ask ourselves how sustainable is a stability based on fear, when it actually increases fear and undermines relationships of trust between peoples. International peace and stability cannot be based on a false sense of security, on the threat of mutual destruction or total annihilation, or on simply maintaining a balance of power. Peace must be built on justice, on integral human development, on respect for fundamental human rights, on the protection of creation, on the participation of all in public life, on trust between peoples, on the support of peaceful institutions, on access to education and health, on dialogue and solidarity. From this perspective, we need to go beyond nuclear deterrence: the international community is called upon to adopt forward-looking strategies to promote the goal of peace and stability and to avoid short-sighted approaches to the problems surrounding national and international security."
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