Russian diplomat warns US-Israel strikes undermine nuclear non-proliferation

Actions by the United States and Israel against Iran are inflicting serious damage on the global nuclear non-proliferation framework, Russia’s permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said.

According to Ulyanov, recent strikes have delivered a “powerful blow” to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), despite Washington being one of its founding members alongside the Soviet Union, TASS reports.

The diplomat argued that the current situation is reinforcing perceptions of nuclear weapons as the most reliable guarantee of national security. At the same time, he maintained that the NPT regime remains resilient, noting that withdrawal carries significant consequences and that the clandestine development of nuclear weapons is technically challenging.

Ulyanov also pointed to what he described as a troubling shift in rhetoric across parts of the West, where discussions about acquiring nuclear weapons have become more open.

“We must take into account that a number of Western countries — or rather representatives of their elites — are speaking quite irresponsibly about the desirability of acquiring nuclear weapons. Polish politicians, German politicians, as well as the Japanese and South Koreans are talking about this. This is extremely alarming; previously, no one would have dared to say such things out loud — it was taboo. Now they allow themselves to do so. This indicates that thresholds and red lines are being pushed aside. <...> I consider it unlikely that any participant will violate the non-proliferation regime in the near future, but the possibility exists, including as a consequence of US-Israeli aggression,” he said at a briefing.

Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency acknowledged that a strike on the Bushehr nuclear power plant posed a risk to the facility’s physical integrity. Ulyanov stressed that any decision regarding access for IAEA experts must rest solely with Iran, describing it as a matter of national sovereignty.

“To begin with, there must be an invitation from the Iranian side. Iran is apparently not impressed by what is happening in Ukraine and does not see the need to follow our path for now. This is a matter for the Iranian authorities. It is their sovereign right to make decisions on these issues,” he said.

The diplomat also cautioned against drawing direct comparisons between Bushehr and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, emphasizing that conditions differ and that cooperation with IAEA experts should be determined based on specific circumstances.

“Our situation at the Zaporizhzhia plant is somewhat different. Yes, perhaps the presence of IAEA experts ultimately forced Ukraine to stop shelling the facility. But these experts carry out extensive work in close cooperation with the administration of the Russian nuclear plant. I am not sure that everything that happens elsewhere should be replicated. At Zaporizhzhia, this is justified. In the case of Bushehr, it is for the Iranians to decide,” Ulyanov added.

By Vafa Guliyeva