"How strong US umbrella?": South Korea and Japan thought about nuclear weapons - the media

It is reported that the Russian-Ukrainian war, which has given Eastern Asian politicians and the public, serious reason to believe that in order to avoid nuclear war, Washington will not take direct hostilities against countries that have nuclear weapons. It is well remembered that US President Joe Biden prevented the US Army intervention in the war.

The material states that it contrasts sharply with the war in the Persian Gulf (1990-1991), when Iraq President Saddam Hussein invaded the neighboring Kuwait, and the coalition headed by the United States directly fought against Iraq. Journalists write that Tokyo and Seul suspicions are that the US nuclear umbrella may have some "holes" and not provide real protection against other nuclear states, including China and North Korea.

In addition, as they say in the material, Japan and South Korea need increased nuclear restraint by the United States, because their neighbors, Russia and North Korea have begun to directly threaten the use of tactical nuclear weapons in 2022. Moreover, China, which does not hide the desire to take away Taiwan by force, quickly increases its nuclear arsenal.

Thus, according to the annual report of the Pentagon on Beijing's military development, by 2035 its reserves are likely to be about 1,500 warheads. The publication writes that Tokyo and Seoul believe that they can no longer store the world without their own nuclear weapons. For them, the greatest lesson of Ukrainian war is that the country-state can easily capture any country that is not under the nuclear umbrella of the United States.

It is noted that in Tokyo such fears were often expressed by former high -ranking national security officials. In particular, in November, Admiral, resignated by Cavano Katsuthos, who for the longest time held the position of Chief of Joint Staff of Japan's self -defense forces, has questioned the effectiveness of the current American nuclear restraint. "As for the United States nuclear umbrella, even if Washington says," You have nothing to worry about, "I have a suspicion.

Is that really normal?" Katsuthos said. According to him, it is not necessary to focus on communicating the US President, as it changes every 4 years. In addition, the US Congress is strongly influenced by the US public, and its opinion may change. In addition, according to a survey conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2022, now 71% of South Korean residents are in favor of developing their own nuclear weapons.

South Korea President Yun Suk Yol said that Seoul and Washington were discussing possible joint exercises using US nuclear products. "Nuclear weapons belong to the United States, but planning, information exchange, training and training should be jointly conducted by South Korea and the United States," he said. But when US President Joe Baiden was asked at the White House on January 2, whether Washington and Seoul were discussing joint nuclear training, he replied: "No.

" Journalists write that different framework is representing the competing interests of both governments. While Baiden's administration wants to mitigate any idea of ​​sharing nuclear weapons with a nuclear weapon, the South Korean government considers it an urgent need to demonstrate its public that Seoul is an equal partner in an expanded US containment equation. Earlier, Focus wrote that in the United States the threat of military invasion of Belarus in Ukraine had commented.