Major nuclear states reaffirm no victory in nuclear conflict as tensions escalate

Newsweek emphasises that the five states officially recognised as nuclear-armed under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) — the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom — have issued a joint statement noting that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."

China has reaffirmed its stance that nuclear weapons should not be used, following Russia's indication that it may revise its nuclear policy in response to what it views as Western escalation in Ukraine. "China has consistently emphasized that nuclear weapons should not be used and that a nuclear war cannot be fought," stated Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, during a press conference in Beijing.

This statement came in reaction to remarks made by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Ryabkov informed the Russian state news agency Tass that there is a "clear intent" to alter Russia’s nuclear doctrine due to what he described as Western "provocation" in the Ukraine conflict.

Russia’s 2020 nuclear doctrine allows for the use of nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear attack or a conventional assault that threatens the state's existence. Ryabkov did not specify when any changes to this doctrine might be implemented. Mao further urged all parties to remain calm and exercise restraint, advocating for dialogue and consultation to reduce strategic risks and promote de-escalation. 

She also noted that on January 3, 2022, China, along with France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, issued a joint statement on preventing nuclear war, just a month before Russia's military action in Ukraine. The five states officially recognized as nuclear-armed under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) are the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, India, Israel, Pakistan, and North Korea are known or believed to possess nuclear weapons. The joint statement from these five nuclear-armed states asserts that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."