Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚛️ International Day against Nuclear Tests, declared by the UN General Assembly in 2009, is observed on August 29.
🔻 The idea behind it was to intensify the efforts of the UN, of states, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to stop nuclear testing, which is essential to maintaining international peace and security.
Over 2,000 nuclear explosions have been carried out throughout the history of humankind. More than half of these tests were performed by Western countries: 1,032 by the United States, 210 by France and 45 by the UK.
📄 The main instrument for stopping nuclear testing is the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
❗️ The fact that one of the world’s largest nuclear powers, the United States, is among the countries still refusing to ratify this important document continues to cause deep concern.
☝️ The Russian Federation has consistently advocated that the #CTBT be transformed into a fully operational international legal mechanism.
🔻 The idea behind it was to intensify the efforts of the UN, of states, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to stop nuclear testing, which is essential to maintaining international peace and security.
Over 2,000 nuclear explosions have been carried out throughout the history of humankind. More than half of these tests were performed by Western countries: 1,032 by the United States, 210 by France and 45 by the UK.
📄 The main instrument for stopping nuclear testing is the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
❗️ The fact that one of the world’s largest nuclear powers, the United States, is among the countries still refusing to ratify this important document continues to cause deep concern.
☝️ The Russian Federation has consistently advocated that the #CTBT be transformed into a fully operational international legal mechanism.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 In conclusion of his working visit to Astana, Russia's President Vladimir Putin answered questions from representatives of Russian media (July 4, 2024)
Key talking points:
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO) started to gain traction and definitely became more necessary in today’s world, because it is clearly an independent centre of the new multipolar world. This is the feature that attracted the organisation members and those who wanted to maintain close contacts with it at various levels
• The Taliban controls the country [Afghanistan]. In this sense, the Taliban are, of course, our allies in countering terrorism, because any authority in power is interested in its own stability and the stability of the country it leads.
• We take seriously enough the things that Mr Trump is saying as a presidential candidate about his readiness and wish to stop the war in Ukraine. Naturally, I do not know his possible proposals as to how he is going to do it – and this is, of course, the key question. However, I have no doubt that he is saying it sincerely, and we support it.
• We cannot allow the adversary to take advantage of this ceasefire to improve its positions, rearm itself, fill up its army through forced mobilization, and get prepared to continue the armed conflict. We must ensure that the opposing side agrees to take steps that would be irreversible and acceptable to the Russian Federation.
❗️ We have always been in favour of negotiations, as you know. We never rejected them. The problem is that I consider it improbable that the conflict can be settled through mediators alone, above all because a mediator will not be authorised to sign any final documents.
⚡️ If US-made medium-range and shorter-range missiles appear in some place, we reserve the right to respond tit-for-tat.
• The US has indeed destroyed the fundamental documents that underpinned international stability and security. We did not withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which was a cornerstone, or the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or the #CTBT. <...> All of this was done by the US.
Read in full
Key talking points:
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO) started to gain traction and definitely became more necessary in today’s world, because it is clearly an independent centre of the new multipolar world. This is the feature that attracted the organisation members and those who wanted to maintain close contacts with it at various levels
• The Taliban controls the country [Afghanistan]. In this sense, the Taliban are, of course, our allies in countering terrorism, because any authority in power is interested in its own stability and the stability of the country it leads.
• We take seriously enough the things that Mr Trump is saying as a presidential candidate about his readiness and wish to stop the war in Ukraine. Naturally, I do not know his possible proposals as to how he is going to do it – and this is, of course, the key question. However, I have no doubt that he is saying it sincerely, and we support it.
• We cannot allow the adversary to take advantage of this ceasefire to improve its positions, rearm itself, fill up its army through forced mobilization, and get prepared to continue the armed conflict. We must ensure that the opposing side agrees to take steps that would be irreversible and acceptable to the Russian Federation.
❗️ We have always been in favour of negotiations, as you know. We never rejected them. The problem is that I consider it improbable that the conflict can be settled through mediators alone, above all because a mediator will not be authorised to sign any final documents.
⚡️ If US-made medium-range and shorter-range missiles appear in some place, we reserve the right to respond tit-for-tat.
• The US has indeed destroyed the fundamental documents that underpinned international stability and security. We did not withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which was a cornerstone, or the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or the #CTBT. <...> All of this was done by the US.
Read in full