United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, whose term is coming to an end, stated, "The Russian Federation and the United States, which possess the largest nuclear capabilities, must engage in a genuine dialogue to pursue the reduction of all types of their nuclear weapons." The Secretary-General estimated that 95 percent of the declared nuclear weapons on Earth are held by the two countries, the US and Russia. The New START treaty between the US and Russia commits both countries to reduce their nuclear warheads to 1,550 each, their deployed nuclear missiles and bombers to 700 each, and their deployed and non-deployed nuclear launchers, such as submarines and bombers, to 800 each by the year 2018. The New START treaty was signed on April 8, 2010, in Prague between US President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. According to statistics from the US Department of State, as of October 1, 2016, Russia had 1,796 nuclear warheads, 508 deployed nuclear missiles and bombers, and 847 deployed and non-deployed nuclear launchers and bombers, while the US had 1,367 nuclear warheads, 681 deployed nuclear missiles and bombers, and 848 deployed and non-deployed nuclear launchers and bombers. Ban Ki-moon emphasized that 95 percent of the declared nuclear weapons in the world are held by the US and Russia. This data indicates that in terms of the number of nuclear warheads, the US has fulfilled its commitments under the New START treaty, while Russia has not yet done so. In terms of the number of deployed nuclear missiles and bombers, both countries have met their commitments, although they have yet to fulfill their obligations regarding the number of deployed and non-deployed nuclear launchers and bombers. The Secretary-General also warned about the dangers of chemical and biological weapons in his speech. According to the memorandum of understanding for the first START treaty on July 1, 2009, at that time about seven years ago, Russia had 3,897 nuclear warheads and the US had 5,916 nuclear warheads.
UN Secretary-General's Request to Russia and the US for Nuclear Disarmament Dialogue
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russia and the US to engage in serious discussions to reduce their nuclear arsenals, which constitute 95% of the world's declared nuclear weapons. The New START treaty mandates both nations to lower their nuclear warheads and delivery systems by 2018, but compliance has been uneven. This issue is crucial for global nuclear disarmament efforts and international security.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for the US and Russia to engage in serious discussions about reducing their nuclear arsenals, which make up 95% of the world's declared nuclear weapons. He highlighted the uneven compliance with the New START treaty, which aims to limit their nuclear capabilities.
- The New START treaty mandates both countries to reduce their nuclear warheads and delivery systems by 2018.
- As of October 2016, the US had fulfilled its commitments under the treaty, while Russia had not.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The New START treaty is a key agreement aimed at reducing the nuclear arsenals of the US and Russia, which together hold the vast majority of the world's nuclear weapons. Ongoing tensions between these nations complicate disarmament efforts.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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