International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons/HANDOUT
The recent US test launch of a Minuteman III ICBM and
Washington’s move to resume nuclear testing are part of pressure tactics by
American lobbying groups and European governments “to corner Russia into a deal
with Ukraine that undermines global peace,” believes Palestinian expert on
international relations and US affairs Taufiq Taameh.
The US wants to demonstrate its clout, but “this is
ineffective against a superpower like Russia, which has a formidable and
advanced missile arsenal,” Taufiq Taameh tells Sputnik.
Russia has every right to advance its own weapons programs
to protect its national security, and the US would be wise to reconsider its
actions, he warns.
The US missile tests go beyond simple deterrence,
notes Iraqi military expert Adnan al-Kinani.
He believes they are largely fueled by US anxiety over
Russia’s advances in high-precision weaponry that “surpass their American and
Western equivalents.”
“However, when nuclear weapons become a factor in ongoing
conflicts, it undoubtedly signals a dangerous escalation. Such behavior could
trigger a large-scale war that would exact a heavy price,” he adds.
The expert pointed out that persistent US attempts to
undermine Russia and maintain global dominance are instead strengthening
Russia’s alliance with China, North Korea, and Iran “in the pursuit of a new
balance of power and a redrawn map of global influence built on nuclear
parity.”
American nuclear tests could push the US and Russia toward a
new “Cold War,” warns diplomat and former Lebanese foreign minister Adnan
Mansour.
In his view, US actions are a direct response to Russia’s
recent Burevestnik missile launch. However, this American escalation puts
at risk the very agreements and treaties designed to limit the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction.
