The document says: “You have the option to leave the UK voluntarily. However, should you be removed it will be to Rwanda.”…reports Asian Lite News
The British Home Office is giving asylum seekers the option of being flown back to the conflict zones they escaped from or being sent to Rwanda, the east African nation that the UK has signed a deportation deal with.
The Guardian has seen a document issued to the first set of asylum seekers expected to be sent to Rwanda, which says that the Home Office could send them to their home countries instead.
The document says: “You have the option to leave the UK voluntarily. However, should you be removed it will be to Rwanda.”
In a letter, the Home Office said that migrants had “inadmissible” asylum claims because they had crossed the English Channel by small boats. The letter added: “There is no right of appeal against the decision to treat your asylum claim as inadmissible.”
Those detained and awaiting offshoring to Rwanda include Syrians, Afghans, Iranians and Iraqis. Many of those expecting to be sent to the east African nation escaped from active conflict zones, with thousands of Afghans recently fleeing after the Taliban secured control of Kabul. Afghans were the largest group coming to Britain by small boats with 1,094 arrivals, followed by Iranians with 722 arrivals.
Karen Doyle, of Movement for Justice, said: “It’s as if the Home Office is saying to this group of asylum seekers: ‘Here’s a hell we created for you in Rwanda but you can choose to go back to the hell you escaped from instead.’ This is not a choice. These are refugees who cannot return home. In practice this is ripping up the UK’s stated commitment to refugees.”
On his part, Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready for immediate negotiations to evacuate people from Mariupol and is counting on the UN’s support…reports Asian Lite News
At a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, visiting UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticised the 15-member Security Council for failing to prevent or end Russia’s ongoing war against Kiev.
During the conference here on Thursday evening, Guterres, who arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday evening following his trip to Moscow, said: “Let me be very clear: (it) failed to do everything in its power to prevent and end this war,” the BBC reported.
He added that this was “a source of great disappointment, frustration and anger”.
The Secretary-General told Zelensky, who has previously criticised the Security Council after it faced criticism for failing to act since the invasion began on February 24, that “I am here to say to you President, and to the people of Ukraine, we will not give up”.
“The UN is the 1,400 staff members in Ukraine who are working to provide assistance, food, cash (and) other forms of support,” the BBC quoted Guterres as saying.
On his part, Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready for immediate negotiations to evacuate people from Mariupol and is counting on the UN’s support.
He also revealed that they also discussed the “food crisis provoked by Russia, increasing humanitarian aid for our country, and the return of Ukrainians deported by occupiers”.
“We appreciate the clear and unimportant position of the Secretary-General regarding the war of Russia against Ukraine.”
Describing Russia’s actions in his country as “genocide”, Zelensky said that Guterres had a chance to witness first-hand “all the war crimes” committed by Moscow since the war began.
After his arrival in Ukraine, Guterres also visited Borodyanka, a town north-west of Kiev destroyed due to Russian shelling.
Speaking to mediapersons in the town, he called the war an “absurdity in the 21st Century” and also appealed to save thousands of people in the besieged southern city of Mariupol.
“Mariupol is a crisis within a crisis… Thousands of civilians need life-saving assistance, many are elderly and in need of medical care, or have limited mobility. They need an escape route out of the apocalypse,” he was quoted as saying by the BBC.
During a meeting with Guterres in Moscow on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in principle to the involvement of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross in the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.
His takeover followed Russia’s failure to seize any major cities, its retreat from Kiev, and the loss of 30,000 troops and hundreds of aircraft and tanks…reports Asian Lite News
Russian troops are being ‘ritually humiliated’ in Ukraine, but they are still in a position to win the war, Western officials cautioned, Daily Mail reported.
In their bleakest assessment of the campaign since the very first days, they admitted that Vladimir Putin’s forces were gaining territory and presently outnumber the defenders by three soldiers to one.
Moscow’s troops failed in their initial invasion objectives, with Ukraine inflicting a series of humiliating defeats on them.
The turnaround has come after a general known as ‘The Butcher’, who is a veteran of the Syrian campaign, overhauled the performance of the Russian advance, Daily Mail reported.
Western officials credited the reversal in Russia’s fortunes to General Aleksandr Dvornikov, who was made overall commander a fortnight ago.
His takeover followed Russia’s failure to seize any major cities, its retreat from Kiev, and the loss of 30,000 troops and hundreds of aircraft and tanks.
Since then its use of drones, rocket systems and electronic warfare has been transformed — potentially providing Putin with a platform to claim victory.
“This is a new chapter of the campaign, and despite his previous failures, Putin is still in a position to win,” an official said, adding: “Russia has concentrated sufficient force, which, if used intelligently, should be able to destroy a large part of Ukraine’s forces.”
Officials now believe that with such a numerical advantage, and more effective leadership, the Russians will be difficult to dislodge from the territory they have won, Daily Mail reported
Head of Yemen's newly-formed presidential council vows to end war
Rashad Al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s newly formed Presidential Leadership Council, has vowed to work to end the country’s devastating conflict and achieve permanent peace…reports Asian Lite News
On Thursday, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi issued a republican decree delegating all his executive powers to the eight-member Presidential Leadership Council, and relieving his Vice President Ali Mohsin Al-Ahmar of his duties, reports Xinhua news agency.
“This council is a council of peace, not war, but it is also a council of defence, power, and unity, and its mission is to protect the nation’s and citizens’ sovereignty,” Al-Alimi said in his first televised speech on Friday broadcast from Saudi Arabia.
Following seven years of devastating internal conflict, he vowed to work along with other seven members of the Presidential Leadership Council to end the war and establish a comprehensive and urgent peace process.
He also promised to prioritize the country’s national interests and to work tirelessly to address all political, economic, social, and security challenges.
“We will work without exception or discrimination to meet Yemenis’ demands,” he said, urging Yemen’s people to support the state institutions.
Al-Alimi is a well-known Yemeni official who has been working as an advisor to Hadi since 2014 and held a number of government posts, including minister of the interior.
The other seven members of the council include Aidarous Zubaidi, the chief of the pro-secession Southern Transitional Council, and Tariq Saleh, nephew of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Hadi was elected to lead the turbulent Arab country on February 25, 2012 following the handover of power by former President Saleh in accordance with the Gulf Initiative on Yemen.
Russian tourists are cancelling trips to Middle Eastern destinations. Tunisia vows hard work to overcome impact of Russia-Ukraine crisis on tourism. Oil and flour prices are touching roofs in Egypt, Syria, Ethiopia, and Lebanon
The Tunisian tourism minister promised to work hard to overcome the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on the country’s tourism sector.
“Several flights have been cancelled to Tunisia, especially since the number of Russian tourists will be in remarkable decline,” Mohamed Moez Belhassine said on the sidelines of a national forum on tourism.
Belhassine revealed that his ministry has set up a crisis unit whose main mission is to monitor the effects of the conflict.
“The crisis unit is in direct contact with most of the tourist operators in Russia and Ukraine as well as in eastern and central Europe,” the minister said, highlighting the importance of the Russian market for the growth of the Tunisian tourism sector.
A total of 630,000 Russian tourists visited Tunisia in 2019, and the number dropped sharply to 90,000 during the period of 2020-2021 because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, according to Belhassine.
Food prices soar
The consequences of Putin’s war will play out in regions already experiencing acute food insecurity and in food-importing countries that are most vulnerable to supply shocks and price increases.
World food prices increased in February
Russia’s invasion has put global stocks of grains and oilseeds into question and caused energy prices to soar, throwing fuel onto the fire and risking pushing food insecurity skyward, says Caitlin Welsh, Director of the Global Food Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
The impacts of disruption to agriculture in the Black Sea region could take months, or even years, to play out. Beyond pain at the gas pump, Americans will continue to experience sticker shock in the checkout line, with global food and fuel supply disruptions leading to even higher food prices, Welsh said.
An underreported reality is that global food insecurity is already at a 10-year high. Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the follow-on effects of the pandemic — lost jobs and wages, supply chain disruptions, food price volatility — pushed the number of food-insecure people to record levels, Welsh says.
This spike in food insecurity happened despite ample global food stocks and record-low fuel prices.
Shocks to global agriculture markets can reverberate worldwide. In 2007 and 2008, decreases in production from major producers — Australia, Burma, Russia, and others — led to price increases and riots from Haiti to Cote d’Ivoire to nearly 40 other countries.
Today, decreases in the global stocks of wheat and other grains and oilseeds from Ukraine and Russia could exacerbate ongoing crises in Afghanistan, Syria, Ethiopia, and other hotspots and aggravate instability in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria.
Among Ukraine’s major wheat buyers, almost half already experience acute food insecurity; particularly vulnerable to a decrease in Russian wheat supply are its purchasers across Asia and Africa, Welsh said.
With China pledging to purchase Russia’s barley and wheat, any sanctions imposed on Russia’s agriculture sector would have limited effect, Welsh said.
The UAE’s position is firm in its rejection of “military solutions” in Ukraine, according to Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Khalifa, who called for a diplomatic resolution to the unfolding crisis…reports Asian Lite News
“The UAE’s position is firm on the basic principles of the United Nations, international law, state sovereignty, and its rejection of military solutions,” said Gargash. “We believe that alignment and positioning will only lead to more violence, and in the Ukrainian crisis, our priorities are to encourage all parties to adopt diplomacy and negotiate to find a political settlement that ends this crisis.”
He said the world is facing “a difficult test and severe polarization” imposed by the Ukrainian crisis, which “threatens the foundations of the international community and increases the factors of instability.”
“From our experience in a region full of crises, we believe that political solutions and creating balances that enhance security and stability are the best way to confront crises and limit their effects,” he added.
Meanwhile, India, China and the UAE have abstained for the third time on a Security Council vote on Ukraine. The three became the only countries to abstain on Sunday on a procedural vote to have the 193-member General Assembly take up the Russian invasion of Ukraine at an emergency meeting.
Russia’s negative vote did not have the power of a veto and it passed with the support of 11 members from Europe, the Americas and Africa in the 15-member Council.
This is the first time the Council has called for an emergency meeting of the Assembly in 40 years — the last one was in 1982 after the US vetoed a resolution on the Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights.
The General Assembly is scheduled to meet for the emergency session on Monday at 10 a.m. local time (8.30 p.m. in India) and consider a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and demand it withdraw its troops immediately that had been vetoed by Russia in the Security Council on Friday.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the country’s deterrence forces to be placed on “a special mode of combat duty” in a meeting with top defence officials.
Senior officials of leading NATO members issued “aggressive statements” against Russia, Putin on Sunday said at a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov.
The need for India to take an unambiguous position on Ukraine and one that isn’t seen as backing Russia was taken up by French authorities with Jaishankar, who visited France this week, reports Asian Lite News
With Russia having launched a military operation in Ukraine, India has come under pressure from the West to shed its posture of neutrality. Hours before the “invasion” started, India’s key European partner France, which currently also holds the EU Council presidency, said it wants India to speak up on the crisis.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar also received a call from EU high representative for foreign affairs Josep Borrell on Thursday and the two discussed “the grave situation in Ukraine and how India could contribute to de-escalation efforts”.
France is currently spearheading EU’s efforts to punish Russia with financial sanctions that are likely to be intensified further after the Russian military action. While India has expressed concern over the situation and called repeatedly for diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis, it has refrained from condemning Moscow’s actions. The latest military action by Russia though is likely to put a strain on India’s position with the US, France and other western partners piling on the pressure to take a tougher line on Russia.
The need for India to take an unambiguous position on Ukraine and one that isn’t seen as backing Russia was taken up by French authorities with Jaishankar, who visited France this week “Sanctions have been imposed because Russia has violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We hope that as a non-permanent member of UNSC, India will have a very strong language on the violation of the UN charter by Russia. This was on the agenda with Jaishankar,” said the adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
India’s position in the UNSC has so far favoured Russia more and Moscow has repeatedly thanked New Delhi for its role on the Ukraine issue. Russian acting ambassador to India Roman Babushkin, in fact, said on Wednesday that India’s activities in the Council reflected the merits of Russia’s strategic partnership with India.
Significantly, Jaishankar also said during his visit to France that the crisis had resulted from NATO expansion along with post-Soviet politics and Russia-West dynamics. While there are still doubts about how effective the sanctions against Russia might be, sources in Paris expressed confidence these will act as a deterrent for Moscow.
“Discussed the grave situation in Ukraine and how India could contribute to de-escalation efforts,”. Jaishankar tweeted about the call with European Union (EU) High Representative (HR/VP) Josep Borrell Fontelles, whose call was followed by the United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. The EU, the UK and US have announced an “unprecedented package of sanctions” against Russia, and have each separately expressed their hopes that India would also support their positions.
In briefings ahead of Jaishankar’s visit to Germany and France last week, European diplomats had stressed that India would need to “pick a side” in the event of a Russian invasion or military attack on Ukraine, and would not be able continue to balance its ties with Moscow and its stated commitment to the international rules-based order.
To begin with, India must consider its response to the resolution on Russian actions that the U.S. proposes to table along with allies, which would include a condemnation of the airstrikes ordered by President Putin, an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops, as well as possibly put to vote proposed punitive action, including strict financial sanctions.
While the condemnation and actions will undoubtedly be vetoed by Russia, which is also at present holding the Presidency of the UNSC, all eyes will be on where countries like India will vote. In three statements made at the U.N. thus far, India has refrained from any criticism of Russian actions, and has repeatedly referred to the “legitimate security interests of all parties”. It also abstained on a vote to discuss the situation in Ukraine earlier this month, which was welcomed by Russian officials.
“There is still time for India to reconsider its position, given Russia has now attacked Ukraine,” said a western diplomat, adding, “Once the vote takes place, if India still abstains, then it will be seen simply as support for Russian aggression, and it will be much harder for India to credibly defend the international rule of law in its neighbourhood in the future.”
Government officials have thus far explained India’s stand as a “principled position” that is based on pushing for diplomacy to resolve the situation. In an interview to French daily Le Figaro, Mr. Jaishankar called the Ukraine crisis “the result of a complex chain of circumstances over the last 30 years”, referring to the post-Soviet rebalance, when many former Soviet states joined the NATO alliance. Russia has repeatedly protested this with the U.S. and EU, and tensions accelerated last year over the question of Ukraine’s membership of the NATO.
“The present deterioration of the security situation in Europe is a result of mismanagement or breakdown in big power relations. India should not be expected to pay the price for the failures of their policies,” observed Former Indian Ambassador to Russia Venkatesh Verma, speaking to The Hindu.
Apart from the hope that its long-standing partner Russia and its friends in the West de-escalate and resolve the situation through talks, India also has concerns over the impact of the sanctions on future energy and defence deals with Russia, as well as the inflationary price of oil that has breached the $100 a barrel mark. In addition, New Delhi’s choices are made more difficult by the fact that its two biggest adversaries- China and Pakistan, have come out in full support of Russia, as evidenced by the meeting in Moscow between President Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, and a call between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Thursday.
While evacuating Indian civilians from the conflict zone is a priority, the government must mull all the diplomatic repercussions of the crisis, making it difficult to disengage from the situation in Europe, despite the distance.
Brickhill, however, is unique in having two other works become successful films — “The Dam Busters”, based on an RAF bombing raid on German industry (book, 1951; film, 1955) and “Reach for the Sky” (book, 1953; film, 1956), on the disabled British fighter ace Douglas Bader…reports Vikas Dutta
The ‘egg or chicken’ conundrum is not required to establish whether books or films came first, but it is indisputable that a whole host of blockbuster movies — from the James Bond to the Harry Potter series, from “Dracula” to “Gone With the Wind”, and from “Ben-Hur” to “Jurassic Park” — owe their origin to books. War movies are no different.
A constant occurrence in human affairs from the earliest time, wars, given their effect on a society’s present and the future, the sacrifices they demand, and the moral issues they raise, figure in all forms of literary works. With the advent of cinema, their cultural depiction got a new — and much wider — display.
Since the First World War, war films of all shades, from jingoistic to pacifist, have been a staple of global cinema, being made right even as the conflict they depict rages on, down till the present day. Cinema traditions across the Americas, Europe and Asia have their masterpieces, but it is Hollywood, whose sheer scope and influence makes it predominant, that is most known for its repertoire.
While it has filmed a wide swathe of wars down the ages and around the world, from the Trojan War to the War against Terror, as well as some lesser-known conflicts (the 15th Moorish-Christian battles in Spain known as ‘El Cid’), the pride of place belongs to those set in the Second World War.
But, be they broad-spectrum retellings of major battles like the D-Day (“The Longest Day”, 1962), or the Battle of Arnhem (“A Bridge Too Far”, 1977), or episodes of PoW breakouts such as “The Great Escape” (1963), focused experiences of smaller formations (“Cross of Iron”, 1977, or “Squadron 633”, 1964), or even varying degrees of fiction (“The Bridge on the River Kwai”, 1957, “The Dirty Dozen”, 1967, “Where Eagles Dare”, 1968, and “The Eagle Has Landed”, 1976), all are based on books. Also, most made the transition from the page to the big screen in a considerably short span of time.
Irish-American journalist Cornelius Ryan’s eponymous military histories, which draw on the experiences of as many survivors as available from all sides, came out in 1959 and 1974 — three years before the films based on them; American author E.M. Nathanson’s “The Dirty Dozen” came out two years before the film; and Scottish novelist Alistair Maclean’s “Where Eagles Dare” and Jack Higgins’ “The Eagle Has Landed” just a year before.
There was, however, a lag for “Cross of Iron” based on German author Willi Heinrich’s “The Willing Flesh” (German 1955, English 1956), “Squadron 633” on former RAF officer Frederick E. Smith’s 1956 book of the same name, and most for Australian fighter pilot-turned-author Paul Brickhill, whose work on the PoW escape — of which he had first-hand experience — came out in 1950.
Brickhill, however, is unique in having two other works become successful films — “The Dam Busters”, based on an RAF bombing raid on German industry (book, 1951; film, 1955) and “Reach for the Sky” (book, 1953; film, 1956), on the disabled British fighter ace Douglas Bader.
But there are major differences between the printed and the reel versions. Some are due to the limitations of the form, say, the need for a condensed narrative, or the inability to delve into the background or to represent the thought processes of a character on screen, but most are instances of artistic licence, driven by the need to create a compelling or dramatic scene even if it is made up.
In “The Longest Day”, the scene showing a group of French nuns, led by the Mother Superior no less, hurrying into a war zone to minister to their injured compatriots makes for splendid viewing, but never happened in real life. Then, at the end of “A Bridge Too Far”, the actor playing the role of a British General, who masterminded the campaign, is shown speaking the phrase from which the book and the film’s title is drawn — he did say that but at a different point, in another context. Then, the motorcycle chase towards the end of “The Great Escape” makes for thrilling viewing, but never happened in real life.
Political and commercial reasons may also play a role in changes. “The Great Escape” was heavily fictionalised, with all its protagonists being composites of the real-life inmates and their roles jazzed up for the stars playing them. American officers, moreover, were given prominence, despite the fact that the PoWs who broke out were British and other Allied personnel.
The Americans were involved in planning and preparations for the escape, but their entire contingent had been moved to a different camp more than half a year before the escape.
On the other hand, some of these books do not make it easygoing for the filmmaker.
“The Dirty Dozen”, the film that is, shows the selection and training of the personnel for about two-thirds of the running time and the operation in about the final third. Guess, how much the book, over 500 pages in most editions, devotes to the denouement? Just the last two dozen-odd pages, with most of this being a report for the general concerned, and spending the rest as a character study. You won’t even recognise most of the film’s ‘Dirty Dozen’.
There are more examples of divergences, but let’s now look at another half-a-dozen war books and their film adaptations, which are lesser-known, but deserve both reading and viewing.
Less known than his contemporary Nicholas Monserrat of “The Cruel Sea” (1951; film, 1953), British naval officer-turned-writer Denys Rayner’s “The Enemy Below (1956; film, 1957) is a fictional but authentic tale of a cat-and-mouse game between an Allied destroyer and a German U-boat somewhere in the South Atlantic Ocean, spread over five days and ending with both in the same boat (figuratively and literally).
On land, much drier land, is British novelist Christopher Landon’s “Ice Cold in Alex” (1957; film, 1958), about two British soldiers and two nurses, pulling back after an advance by Field Marshal Rommel’s Afrika Corps, getting separated from their convoy, and forced to make the arduous drive across the desert to safety.
While Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22” (1961; film, 1970) is the defining satirical novel of World War II, American novelist William Bradford Huie’s “The Americanisation of Emily” (1959; film, 1964) is a no less barbed look at how some officers will go to any extent to achieve glory, even as some seek to avoid it at any cost.
German novelist Hans Helmut Kirst’s “The Night of the Generals” (1962; film, 1967) is the incongruous tale of a dogged German military policeman seeking to catch a serial murderer of prostitutes, believed to be one of the three generals in the vicinity, even as indiscriminate massacres go on all around.
In light of the drone attacks on Jammu airport recently, the Counter terrorism Commando forces of NSG, equipped with anti-drone technology, been deployed at the Jammu and Srinagar airports to provide anti-drone cover to these vital installations, reports Asian Lite News
National Security Guard (NSG) DG M.A. Ganapathi on Saturday said that drone warfare is a new challenge and the NSG is fully capable to handle it.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the 37th foundation day event of the NSG, in Manesar (Gurugram), on Saturday.
“Every security force needs to upgrade counter drone technology. Drones are an easy way to create mischief, to drop bombs and payload like weapons and ammunition,” he said.
Earlier, speaking at the 37th foundation day of the NSG, the DG said that the NSG has been upgrading itself to the new security challenges and in the last few years, many initiatives have been taken to strengthen the counter terror measures.
“To effectively deal with drone attacks, the Force is now equipped with counter drone equipment, radar, jammers and drone killing guns”, Ganapathi said.
Referring to the upgradation of the force in the last one year, he further said that in light of the drone attacks on Jammu airport recently, the Counter terrorism Commando forces of NSG, equipped with anti-drone technology, been deployed at the Jammu and Srinagar airports to provide anti-drone cover to these vital installations.
The force has also destroyed the IEDs and tiffin box bombs sent across the border through drones in Amritsar in Punjab, he added.
The NSG DG further said that the Force has been equipped with modern weapons and equipment and also strengthened the infrastructural setups across the country and indoor shooting ranges have been established in Manesar, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata.
With an aim to increase the efficiency of the bomb disposal squads, mini-remotely operated vehicles, total containment vehicles, and robots have been added to the force, he added.
He also said that to deal with multiple attacks at multiple locations at the same time, the Gandiv 3 mock exercise was conducted last month and in coordination with all agencies, and forces were dispatched to Bhopal, Ahmedabad from Delhi for this exercise.
Ganapathi also said that NSG’s Close Protection Force has provided security to the VVIPs in over 4,600 events in the last one year despite Covid-19 restrictions and also provided security to the VVIPs in over 260 public gatherings and road shows during the last assembly elections.
He also said all NSG personnel have been fully vaccinated for Covid-19 and a 60 bedded hospital has been set up at NSG campus here with its own resources.
The institute also pointed out that China is modernizing and expanding its nuclear weapon inventory, along with India and Pakistan….reports Asian Lite News
The overall number of nuclear warheads in global military stockpiles appears to be increasing this year, a new finding released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday reveals.
“The nine nuclear-armed states – the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) – together possessed an estimated 13 080 nuclear weapons at the start of 2021. This marked a decrease from the 13 400 that SIPRI estimated these states possessed at the beginning of 2020,” SIPRI said.
However, SIPRI research shows that this declining trend appears to have stalled.
“Despite this overall decrease, the estimated number of nuclear weapons currently deployed with operational forces increased to 3825, from 3720 last year,” the research institute said.
According to SIPRI, the US and Russia continued to reduce their nuclear weapon arsenals in 2020, but both are estimated to have had around 50 more nuclear warheads in operational deployment at the start of 2021 than a year earlier.
“Both countries’ deployed strategic nuclear forces remained within the limits set by the 2010 Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START), although the treaty does not limit total nuclear warhead inventories,” SIPRI specified.
The institute also pointed out that China is modernizing and expanding its nuclear weapon inventory, along with India and Pakistan.
In February, Russia and the United States agreed to extend the New START treaty for five more years without renegotiating any of its terms. The treaty, now set to expire on February 5, 2026, is the only arms control agreement between two countries that is still in force.
The treaty limits each party’s nuclear arsenal to 1,550 deployed warheads, 800 launchers, and 700 missiles. Both the United States and Russia met the central limits of the New START Treaty in 2018, and have stayed at or below them ever since.
According to the White House, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues related to strategic stability and arms control during their Wednesday summit in Geneva. (ANI/Sputnik)
