The world’s largest nuclear powers, US, Russia, China, France and the UK have pledged to never enter into a nuclear war, in a rare statement of unity amid rising tensions between the East-West .
Russia is believed to have the world’s biggest stockpile of nuclear warheads, with 6,255, followed closely by the United States at 5,550, according to the Arms Control Association (ACA). China (350), France (290) and the UK (225) round out the top five.
Pakistan (165), India (156), Israel (90) and North Korea (40-50) also have nuclear weapons, according to the ACA, but are not party to the Nonproliferation Treaty.
Although nuclear weapons have only been used twice in warfare—in the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945—about 13,400 reportedly remain in our world today and there have been over 2,000 nuclear tests conducted to date..
The top five nuclear countries have now pledged to work together toward “a world without nuclear weapons”
The statement also stressed the importance of preventing conflict between nuclear-weapon states from escalating, describing it as a “foremost responsibility.”
“A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” said the joint statement, which was issued simultaneously by the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France.
“As nuclear use would have far-reaching consequences, we also affirm that nuclear weapons — for as long as they continue to exist — should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war.”
The statement comes as a shock as Russia is massing troops along its border with Ukraine, raising alarms in US, UK and the EU of which France is a major power.
While there is increased Chinese military activity around the self-governed island of Taiwan which has spiked tensions between Beijing and Washington and US allies Japan, Australia, South Korea..
