Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was isolated from the international community due to the invasion of Ukraine, is showing active diplomatic actions by attending China’s ‘One Belt, One Road Summit Forum’. President Putin held bilateral meetings with the leaders of Hungary, Thailand, and Vietnam in China, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is visiting North Korea, discussed President Putin’s schedule for his visit to North Korea and expressed his willingness to cooperate with North Korea, China, and Russia. In particular, tensions surrounding the Korean Peninsula are growing, with the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) passing a bill to withdraw ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) on the 18th, hinting at the possibility of nuclear testing resuming.
According to the Russian state-run RIA Novosti news agency, Foreign Minister Lavrov, who visited North Korea on the 18th and 19th, held a press conference in Pyongyang after meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui on the 19th and said, “(On the Korean Peninsula) military activities between Korea, the United States, and Japan are increasing, and U.S. strategic infrastructure, including nuclear weapons, is increasing.” “The U.S. policy, including its relocation to the Korean Peninsula, is raising serious concerns,” he said. “Russia supports the establishment of a regular negotiation process without preconditions to discuss security issues on the Korean Peninsula together with North Korea and China.” While some in the U.S. are even raising the possibility of redeploying nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, Minister Lavrov has revealed his intention to check the U.S. defense strategy for the Korean Peninsula by strengthening North Korea-China-Russia solidarity.
According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Minister Lavrov has pointed out that the United States has been building a series of small alliances targeting China and Russia, such as AUKUS (Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and Quad (a four-nation council of the United States, Japan, India and Australia). He pointed out that “such a move risks causing another explosive geopolitical tension.” It is known that during this visit to North Korea, Minister Lavrov shared the results of the China-Russia summit and discussed President Putin’s visit schedule to North Korea and joint military exercises between North Korea, China, and Russia. He said, “There were various contacts between North Korea and Russia, including at the highest level.” “We will continue,” he said, leaving open the possibility of President Putin visiting North Korea.
As the Russian House of Representatives decided to withdraw its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) on the 18th, there are concerns that President Putin’s ‘nuclear threat’ against the West, including the United States, will also strengthen. The CTBT, approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996, is a treaty banning all nuclear tests. Russia signed the treaty in 1996 and ratified it in 2000. President Putin has insisted on withdrawing the CTBT, saying he will act like the United States, which only signed but did not ratify the treaty in 1996.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Vyacheslav Volodin said on Telegram on the 17th, “The United States must realize that its hegemony does not lead to good results,” and “Russia will do its best to protect its citizens and ensure that strategic parity is maintained internationally.” said. Withdrawal of ratification of the CTBT is completed after deliberation by the Senate and signature by President Putin. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) analyzed, “President Putin could pull out the card to resume nuclear testing as a way to block U.S. weapons support to Ukraine.” The idea is to send a strong warning message to the West through nuclear weapons.
It is in the same context that President Putin blatantly exposed naval officers carrying so-called ‘nuclear bags’ after a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China on the 18th.
According to Reuters, a broadcast camera captured two Russian naval officers following President Putin, each carrying a nuclear briefcase. This nuclear bag, called ‘Cheget’, is a secure communication tool that connects the president and high-ranking military officials and issues orders to the strategic rocket unit through a top-secret electronic command and command network. The president always carries it with him, but rarely exposes it to the outside world. According to a video aired by Russia’s Zvezda TV in 2019, there are several buttons on the nuclear bag, of which the ‘command’ button consists of a white launch button and a red cancel button.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.