US may pull tactical nukes out of Europe: Report

The US is in talks with NATO to remove US tactical nuclear weapons from Europe, in a push toward a nuclear-weapons-free world and to cut costs, a Japanese newspaper said.

Tokyo: The United States is in talks with
NATO to remove US tactical nuclear weapons from Europe, in a
push toward a nuclear-weapons-free world and to cut costs, a
Japanese newspaper said on Friday.

Washington is talking with other NATO member nations
about the withdrawal of all shorter-range, tactical nuclear
weapons that have been deployed in Europe since the Cold War
era, the influential Asahi Shimbun said.

In-depth discussions will take place in coming months
and the talks should conclude by the time Chicago hosts a NATO
summit next May, the liberal daily said, citing a senior US
official tasked with nuclear disarmament policies.

The talks are being held as part of NATO`s Defence and
Deterrence Posture Review, said the report filed from the
paper`s Washington bureau.

The move came as US President Barack Obama wants to
negotiate with Russia about reducing tactical nuclear weapons
and nuclear stockpiles, following the ratification this year
of the US-Russia New START disarmament treaty, it said.

If a complete abolition in Europe is agreed, it could
give impetus to US-Russia nuclear disarmament talks, the
mass-circulation newspaper said.

Japan is the only country to have been attacked with
nuclear weapons, in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Post-war
Japan has strongly pushed nuclear non-proliferation efforts, a
topic that is closely followed by Japanese media.

PTI

Zee News App: Read latest news of India and world, bollywood news, business updates, cricket scores, etc. Download the Zee news app now to keep up with daily breaking news and live news event coverage.
Tags: