Russia refuses to attend the Nuclear Security Summit

Edited by Nelly T.

Russia’s refusal to participate in the nuclear security summit hosted by US President Barak Obama has put a spotlight on the rising tensions between the two nations.

 

The Fourth Nuclear Security Summit started on Thursday where leaders from almost 50 nations gathered in the US capital. North Korea and ISIS are set to be the most strongly debated topics of the meeting alongside discussions on methods of avoiding extremists from getting their hands on nuclear weapons.

 

Russia has criticized the US for their efforts to impose their own agenda and their inability to accept suggestions from other countries.

 

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson said, “The nuclear security issue is rather topical. At the same time Moscow considers that working on issues linked to nuclear security demands common and joint efforts and mutually taking into account interests and positions.”

 

The Kremlin spokesman said that Moscow remains committed to nuclear nonproliferation.

 

US Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes expresses his opinion about Russia’s decision saying it “is a missed opportunity for Russia” who is “isolating themselves” by not participating.

 

European leaders, China, Japan and South Korea will be appearing at the summit, which continues Thursday and Friday of this week.

 

The first day flagrantly features North Korea’s nuclear defiance, however the main focus of the summit will be the prevention of terrorist organizations accessing nuclear weapons.

 

The Nuclear Security Summit will begin with President Obama meeting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye followed by a separate sit-down with President Xi Jinping of China.

 

On the eve of the summit President Obama published an article stating his intentions of keeping pressure on the North Korean regime, “the international community must remain united in the face of North Korea’s continued provocations,” the President wrote.

 

“The additional sanctions recently imposed on Pyongyang by the United Nations Security Council show that violations have consequences.” It is probably that Obama, Abe and Park will demand the rigorous implementation of those sanctions and discuss the possible deployment of the US missile defense systems in the region.