Antonio Guterres declares nuclear weapons must be eliminated from the world
September 27, 2021, 1:50 am

Antonio Guterres declares nuclear weapons must be eliminated from the world

Antonio Guterres/Facebook

The Xinhua reported, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke Sunday on the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, declaring that nuclear weapons must be eliminated from the world and a new era of dialogue, trust and peace must begin.

The top UN official said that addressing the threat of nuclear weapons "has been central to the work of the United Nations since its inception."

The secretary-general noted: "In 1946, the very first General Assembly resolution sought 'the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction."

The UN chief pointed out that although the total number of nuclear weapons has been decreasing for decades, some 14,000 are stockpiled around the world, which is facing "the highest level of nuclear risk" in almost four decades.

"Now is the time to lift this cloud for good, eliminate nuclear weapons from our world," said Guterres, "and usher in a new era of dialogue, trust and peace for all people."

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.