The US is installing sensors in Ukraine that detect emissions from nuclear weapons or “dirty bombs” and show them by whom. writer The New York Times (NYT) refers to the US National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA, part of the US Department of Energy). An NNSA spokesperson told the newspaper that the sensors “can identify the size, location and consequences of any nuclear explosion.” It was noted that the installation of this equipment excluded “the possibility of the Russian Federation using nuclear weapons in Ukraine” and accused Kiev of using it.
In addition, American nuclear safety experts help train Ukrainian personnel and keep records. It was also noted that the US Department of Energy will spend about $160 million this year on nuclear measures in Ukraine.
“If a nuclear emergency occurs in Ukraine, whether it is the release of radiation from a nuclear reactor or the explosion of a nuclear weapon, scientific analysis will be immediately provided to US government agencies and decision-makers in Ukraine and the region to make it actionable. “technically sound decisions to protect public health and safety,” it said.
An attempt to relieve tension
On April 26, adviser to the head of the Presidential office of Ukraine, Mikhail Podolyak, said that US policy, together with other Western countries, forced Kiev to abandon nuclear weapons and led to a conflict in the country.
“Unfortunately, the United States, together with some Western countries, forced Ukraine to abandon nuclear and other weapons in order to ensure guaranteed security and stability in the region. This erroneous policy was misinterpreted by the aggressor and led to a major war in Europe.”
– says Podoliac.
Also on April 26, Jill Hruby, head of the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration, urged Moscow to resume talks regarding a new nuclear arms limitation treaty.
“We lost a lot from the suspension of participation” [Москвы] in this treaty in terms of stability mechanisms. “We definitely want them to go back to abiding by the deal and start talks on a new deal that will limit the number of nuclear weapons,” he said.
On April 27, US Ambassador to Moscow Lynn Tracy said that Washington remains committed to the implementation of START-3 and is ready to engage with Moscow on this issue. “We will continue to strive for a war-free world, including through enhanced strategic dialogue with Russia whenever possible.”
Later report Tracy told the Kommersant newspaper that the United States continues to observe a full moratorium on nuclear weapon testing explosions and urges all nuclear-armed countries to declare or comply with this moratorium.
By contrast, on April 27, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow does not intend to follow the path of nuclear escalation. Zakharova also stated that she “does not recommend” doubting Russia’s determination and testing it “in practice”.
“American strategists are also delusional, as experts say, about the hypothetical nuclear climbing ladder. “As the Russian leadership has repeatedly said, we will do everything to prevent events from developing in the worst case scenario,” he said.
On April 28, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian presidency, commented on Tracy’s call to continue to observe the moratorium on test explosions of such weapons: “At the moment everyone adheres to the moratorium. There is nothing more to say here.”