Nations these days have become plenty trigger-happy in responding to provocations on their borders. There have been frequent incidents of missile and drone attacks – the latest being the Iranian attack on Israel, the Iran-Pakistan exchange and, of course, the continuing bombings in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. This seems to have lowered the threshold that needs to be maintained in a world in which several countries have nuclear arsenals.
Being a nuclear power requires far greater restraint and responsibility than is being displayed by some nations at the present. The major powers learned serious lessons during the Cold War when, on more than one occasion, the world was on the brink of a nuclear conflict. As such, for a long time, efforts were made to ensure such a conflict was never triggered and treaties were signed to ensure the danger was limited as far as possible.
However, in the present day, all these lessons seem to have been forgotten. Leaders resort to nuclear threats almost on a daily basis. North Korea doesn’t let a month pass without reminding the world of its nuclear capacity. Now, South Korea on Tuesday has been provoked enough by another nuclear counter-attack drill by the North to threaten an end to the Kim Jong Un regime. Since this threat comes with US backing, it is natural that China would get involved at some stage. The conflict would then become difficult to contain.
On the same day, the Kremlin has promised appropriate counters to Poland’s willingness to base US nuclear weapons in its territory. This comes after the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s warning that a direct conflict could result between nuclear powers over Ukraine, delivered ironically at a nuclear non-proliferation meeting held in Moscow. It may be recalled that Russia had in November, last year, revoked ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Nations that have developed or are developing nuclear weapons by stealing technology and obtaining equipment through subterfuge are an even greater danger, just as the Taliban are when using weapons developed by others. Pakistan is one such, as is Iran. The former has some grandiose ideas about its arsenal and regularly reminds India about it. Israel, as a nation under constant threat and no strategic depth, will very like utilise its nuclear weapons if there is a sudden military collapse.
Considering the enormous danger all of this poses to the world – probably total annihilation – should not steps be taken to ensure this continuous brinkmanship is contained through proactive diplomacy? Or will we all sleepwalk into the abyss?
