UK Chief of Defence Staff Says World on Verge of ‘Third Nuclear Age’

The Chief of Defence Staff of the United Kingdom, Admiral Anthony Radakin, believes that NATO should strengthen its deterrence strategy against Russia. He said this during a lecture at the Royal United Services Institute in London, Sky News reports.

‘There is only a remote possibility of a significant direct attack or invasion of the United Kingdom by Russia. The same goes for the whole of NATO. Russia knows that the response will be significant, whether it is with conventional or nuclear weapons. NATO's deterrence strategy continues to work. But it must remain strong and be reinforced against a more dangerous Russia,’ Radakin said.

According to him, nuclear deterrence is the part of the UK's capabilities that Russia is most aware of.

‘And it has a greater impact on Putin than anything else,’ Radakin added.

He also mentioned China's nuclear build-up, Iran's nuclear ambitions and North Korea's ballistic missile programme.

Radakin believes that the world is entering ‘a new nuclear era’.

‘We are at the dawn of the third nuclear era, which is even more complex. It is defined by multiple and simultaneous dilemmas: the proliferation of nuclear and destructive technologies and the almost complete absence of the security architectures that existed before,’ he added.