This "extended deterrence" myth is used by some officials writing the US nuclear posture review to justify maintaining thousands of US nuclear weapons. … We will work together with the United States toward a world without nuclear weapons." His remarks rebut nuclear hawks in the US who claim that if the US reduces its nuclear arsenal, Japan will doubt the US defence commitment and build its own nuclear weapons. New Japanese prime minster Yukio Hatoyama said: "I highly approve of President Obama's courageous leadership in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. "Sanctions rarely lead to productive results, but in some cases sanctions are inevitable," the Russian president said on Wednesday. Dmitry Medvedev moved closer to tougher sanctions on Iran. Gordon Brown announced that Britain would cut its nuclear forces by 25%, building only three new nuclear submarines to replace the four currently in service. Here, Obama struck a chord similar to the position of his predecessor: "International law is not an empty promise, and treaties must be enforced." For the first time, there will be a legal and diplomatic basis for international action against nations who "game" the system – legally amassing nuclear facilities, then leaving the non-proliferation treaty and pumping out bombs rather than fuel rods. Some of its most significant clauses raise the barriers to other countries getting nuclear weapons, urging states to require that any technology they sell a country for peaceful use be returned if the state turns it to weapons use. It restores several US positions abandoned by the previous administration, including a commitment to ratifying the nuclear test ban treaty. ![]() It further commits those nations with nuclear weapons to reduce them and work toward elimination. ![]() The UN resolution advances equally the three main pillars of the non-proliferation regime: disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful use. But there will also be days like today that push us forward – days that tell a different story." "We know there are plenty of cynics, and that there will be setbacks to prove their point. "We harbour no illusions about the difficulty of bringing about a world without nuclear weapons," he said. Others will point out that this is just a paper pact. They get bonus points if they can work in "appeasement". Obama's opponents will predictably denounce the agreement as weak, naïve and dangerous. "And it brings security council agreement on a broad framework for action to reduce nuclear dangers as we work toward that goal." "The historic resolution we just adopted enshrines our shared commitment to a goal of a world without nuclear weapons," Obama said. ![]() Obama consolidated international support for the nuclear agenda he first unveiled in Prague and embedded its principles in international law with the unanimous approval of a sweeping UN resolution. The past two days at the United Nations, culminating in a special UN security council session, have been remarkable.
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