Japan marks 77 years since atomic bombing of Nagasaki as Ukraine crisis raises nuclear war fears
- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says Ukraine conflict has brought back the possibility of nuclear conflict
- The world must draw on the lessons of Nagasaki that disarmament, reconciliation and the pursuit of peace are the only way forward, he adds
Japan on Tuesday marked the 77th anniversary of the atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki city, with addresses at the ceremony heavy with warnings of the growing possibility of nuclear proliferation and worsening clashes of conventional forces around the globe.
“The use of nuclear weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki caused a humanitarian catastrophe unique in history,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said at the memorial event.
But he added that “today the prospect of nuclear conflict has been brought back into the realm of possibility”.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine reminds us that we are, at any time, just minutes from possible annihilation,” Guterres said. “Meanwhile, dangerous rhetoric and nuclear threats demonstrate that these are weapons of brinkmanship and coercion.”
He added: “True security can never be achieved through nuclear weapons. It is achieved through dialogue, negotiation, mutual respect and commitment to international law.
“In these times of high tensions and low levels of trust, we should draw on the lessons of Nagasaki. Disarmament, reconciliation and the pursuit of peace are the only way forward – for all our sakes.”
Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue echoed those sentiments, saying Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons had “sent shivers across the globe”.