Photo/Illutration Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, second left, and Head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia and First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov in Moscow on Feb. 27. (Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russia crossed a dangerous line with its threat to use nuclear arms, the ultimate inhumane weapon, in the context of the Ukraine crisis.

The international community must express, in the strongest possible terms, its utter abhorrence of Russia’s indication of its willingness to take this step.

President Vladimir Putin put his nuclear forces on “special combat readiness” to ensure the Russian military is able to unleash its nuclear arsenal at a moment’s notice. The move was apparently aimed at intimidating Ukraine and the Western powers, which implemented tough economic sanctions to protest the invasion.

Neighboring Belarus, a Russian ally, is being used as a launch point for Russian troops into Ukraine. Moves are now under way there to remove wording from the Constitution that has guaranteed the country’s non-nuclear status to allow Russia to house nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil in line with Putin’s wishes.

Before he ordered the invasion, Putin warned against interference in his military adventure, saying, “today’s Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states.” He also warned that “Whoever tries to hinder us” would face “such consequences that you have never encountered in your history.” 

By putting his nuclear forces on alert, Putin is effectively holding the world hostage for the purpose of deterring foreign intervention in his lawless aggression. The situation demonstrates that Putin has no intention of fulfilling his responsibility as the leader of a country that is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a major nuclear power.

Putin’s action could trigger a disastrous chain of serious reactions if the international community makes a misguided response. It could invoke simplistic thoughts about nuclear weapons in various parts of the world plagued by conflict. Some countries may be tempted to think they could gain a powerful advantage by becoming a nuclear power or concluding that nuclear armament offers their only option for defense.

From this point of view, Russia’s actions pose a serious challenge to the nuclear nonproliferation regime that the world should uphold. The international community must take concerted actions to make it unmistakably clear it has zero tolerance for any threats to use nuclear arms or violations of another nation’s sovereignty.

And then out of the blue, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made an absolutely absurd remark. He referred to the idea of “nuclear sharing,” which would allow Japan to host U.S. nuclear weapons for use in a security crisis. “We should not regard a discussion on the reality of how the world’s security is maintained as taboo,” Abe said.

Abe’s comment signals a total lack of awareness of Japan’s responsibility to the world as the only nation to have experienced atomic warfare. We should squarely confront the fact that there can be no peace or security where the world order is in tatters due to uncontrollable proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Asked about his position on the idea of “nuclear sharing” at the Diet, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ruled out the possibility of Japan embracing this approach. “Considering our country’s position to adhere to the three Non-Nuclear Principles, we can’t accept (a discussion on nuclear sharing),” Kishida said. His response was spot-on.

The Japanese government should focus on pressing for greater international efforts to prevent any significant blow to nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation while denouncing Putin’s reckless behavior and helping to ramp up international pressure on Russia.

The theory of nuclear deterrence is premised on reasonable thinking on the parts of the parties involved. But Putin seems to have lost the ability to think rationally.

As long as nuclear weapons exist and can be used as a tool for international politics, the risk of global nuclear catastrophe remains. Putin’s war against Ukraine underscores the importance of pursuing the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons from the world.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 1

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