Adam Price reiterates Plaid Cymru’s opposition to nuclear weapons
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price called for a full economic embargo to be imposed on Russia and the banning of all nuclear weapons during a TV interview on Sunday.
He also urged the United Nations to adopt a motion to create a peacekeeping mission for Ukraine during the interview.
Mr Price was quizzed on the party’s position on quitting NATO and scrapping the UK’s Trident nuclear missile programme during an appearance on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge show to discuss next week’s local elections.
The presenter asked Mr Price if his stance on nuclear weapons and opposition to NATO had changed after he’d seen first hand the devastation caused by the Russian invasion on a recent visit to Ukraine.
Anti-nuclear
Responding, Mr Price said: “We’re an anti-nuclear party.
“That’s absolutely essential, I think in a world now where, as I think Khrushchev granddaughter was saying only yesterday, we are closer to the possibility of nuclear war than we’ve been, for many, many generations.
“And so, we need to ban those weapons of mass destruction in the same way that we’ve done with chemical and biological weapons.
“But the absolute priority at this point, Sophie, must be showing a practical solidarity with the people of Ukraine.”
“That means a full economic embargo – which still isn’t in place.
“You know, we’ve got to get that full economic embargo against the Russian state, and we have to, I think show a level of international leadership that’s been sadly lacking.
“The UN I think, has been absent for a large part of this conflict. It was good to see the Secretary General visiting Kyiv recently.
“We’d like to see the motion at the UN General Assembly creating a UN peacekeeping mission as a means by which the international community can show a practical means of demonstrating solidarity with the people.
Cuban Missile Crisis
Speaking on Saturday, the great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev said Russia and the West are closer to nuclear war than during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Nina Khrushcheva, an academic whose great-grandfather was leader of the Soviet Union during the 1962 standoff, warned the conflict in Ukraine is more dangerous because neither side appears prepared to “back off.”
Ms Khrushcheva said despite a “war of words” during the period of Cold War brinkmanship, both President John F Kennedy and Khrushchev agreed to de-escalate as soon as there was a real threat of nuclear action.
Speaking on the Today programme, she said it was “clear” the current conflict was a proxy war between the West and Russia in which Ukraine is “to some degree a pawn”.
Ms Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at The New School in New York, said of the 1962 crisis: “What really saved the world at the time was that both Khrushchev and Kennedy, whatever they thought of each other’s ideology and disagreed with it, and didn’t want to give in and blink first, yet when the threat appeared of a potential conflict of any kind they immediately backed off.
“We are closer to more issues, nuclear, than any other way, because I don’t see today any side, particularly the Russian side, backing off, and that’s what really scares me the most.”
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I’d like to know who’s picking up the bill for the billions of pounds worth of bombs and other military aid being dumped on Ukraine, because I’m damned sure the UK or USA aren’t doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.
I did a quick Google and found that in the US and UK the likes of Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Halliburton and Northrop Grumman have politicians as shareholders, advisers, maybe even directors. I always remember in George W Bush’s sequel to the Gulf War, Halliburton ( Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld held significant interests) made the bombs that destroyed the targets, then “won” the contracts to rebuild the targets. Make no mistake, the West is invested in industry and resource rich Ukraine forever now. Money will be recouped through Western companies surging in for rebuilding etc and deals made to get… Read more »
If you dig deep enough, you’ll come across president Dwight D Eisenhower’s farewell speech of 1961, where he warns of the dangers of the industrial military complex, which is pretty much what you’ve described, clearly no one was paying attention.
Mark, people have talked at length about that speech. It figured in taught courses as long ago as 1969-70 and possibly earlier. It stuck in my mind because Ike was no “pale pinko” but was sufficiently old school to desire a winding down of tensions. Of course he wanted it done on USA’s terms not anybody else’s and therein were the seeds of destruction. I guess the Cold War and Vietnam in particular were the turning points where big business and military hawks really got their act together and it expanded later to embrace a willing UK and other NATO… Read more »
Nuclear weapons and nuclear energy are different sides of the same coin. Independent Cymru must say no to both, and lead internationally with other peace-minded and neutral states. And soon.
More depth than this needed to create a convincing argument.
I don’t think Neil was trying to construct a convincing argument. Simply making a statement of opinion that many of us, including me, agree with.
Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price is correct. The idea of wasting billions on nuclear weapons that if ever used would be end of humanity and life as we know it is pointless. Did Trident stop the 7/7 attacks in London or the Manchester area bombing. Did America’s numerous nuclear arsenal stop 9/11 attacks in 2001? Answer. No they did not!. Just look what’s happening in Ukraine at present. The world watches on as Russia pounds Ukraine and the UN are helpless and can’t do a thing out of fear that the conflict might escalate into a nuclear war. And sure America,… Read more »
It is also clear that nuclear weapons have indiscriminate effects, which makes then illegal under international law. So politicians with any interest in their legacy might think twice about pushing the button.
Why is anyone down-voting this?
As I am sure the sane ones would. But what about the Kims, the Putins, the Trumps, the Netanyahus? And heaven help us if Patel ever becomes PM. What then? All it takes is one sociopath to decide it is in their own benefit to use nuclear weapons. Sociopaths do not understand empathy or compassion. It’s not their fault. But we certainly don’t want them having access to world ending weaponry. One cannot rely on common human decency to keep us safe when all credible studies have identified that there are a disproportionately large percentage of sociopaths at the top… Read more »
Sorry, as much as I agree with the overall sentiment here, the hyperbole and the mixups need to be addressed. Trump, as much as you couldn’t pay me to vote for such a mouthy PR nightmare, was the 1st president in decades not to start any new wars. Hate his personality and awful rhetoric, but the devil’s best trick wasn’t convincing us he doesn’t exist – it’s convincing the terminally online that Trump is the devil. Also, it’s psychopaths, not sociopaths in positions of power. Problem with that bit of pop-psych is it leaves out the whole conclusion – they… Read more »
Which is why only a deranged and utter failure of a leader would consider “pushing the button”, but a deranged and utter failure of a leader isn’t going to be put off by concern of their own destruction. The UK will never use it’s nuclear weapons so they’re just really, really expensive ornaments.
But not all weapons?