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British prime minister candidate Truss is also prepared for “global annihilation”.
Written by Lucas Leiroz, researcher in Social Sciences at the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; geopolitical consultant.
The main frontrunner of the British Conservative Party, Lis Truss, made it clear that she would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons if she deemed it necessary. Her words threaten world stability, considering that she may be the next prime minister of the UK, precisely in the midst of a global context of tensions and security crisis. If the nuclear powers are unwilling to guarantee peace, the future of international relations could be devastating.
In an interview, Truss stated that it is a prime minister’s duty to decide on the use of nuclear weapons and said she is prepared to do so. According to her, even if such a decision meant a “global annihilation”, she would do it if she deemed it necessary. The interviewer, Times Radio host John Pienaar, stated that faced with such a decision she would feel “physically sick”, considering the risks of annihilation, but Truss responded by emphasizing that she “is ready” for it.
“I think it’s an important duty of the prime minister and I’m ready to do that (…) I’m ready to do that”, she said, twice emphasizing that she considers herself prepared for such an attitude.
Truss’ words sound like a real threat to the entire world. Her important role in contemporary British – and international – politics makes it extremely complicated for such a bellicose speech to be made in the midst of current tensions. Truss currently heads British diplomacy and is the favorite to become the new UK’s prime minister, so, with her with the responsibility of important strategic decisions, it should be her duty to make it clear that she has no intentions of using nuclear weapons, as in such a war there would be no winners. However, she does exactly the opposite: she says she is ready and takes the risk of global annihilation.
In Moscow, as expected, Liz Truss’ imprudent statement was responded with severe condemnation by spokespeople. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Truss’ declaration a “good start” to the new season of the cult spy series Austin Powers in the late 1990s. Zakharova subtly hinted at Truss’ resemblance to the hero of the aforementioned series, Dr. Evil, who threatened world leaders with launching a nuclear missile if they did not pay him 100 billion dollars. The ironic response reflects Russia’s absolute disapproval for Truss’s position.
Obviously, Truss’ words would be dangerous at any point in history, but the current situation demands even more attention. Two days earlier, during a Security Council meeting, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stated that “nuclear risk has climbed to its highest point in decades”, making it clear that he considers the current security crisis the most serious in history. Indeed, the fact that Truss stated shortly after Guterres’ speech that she is “ready” to press the nuclear buttons shows that this critical point of global nuclear security is fueled by the irresponsibility of Western leaders.
The most impressive thing is that this is not the first time that Truss has caused international tensions with her irresponsible and bellicose speeches. Months ago, in the early days of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, some of Liz’s words led to a deep diplomatic crisis, making Russia to put its nuclear forces on high combat alert. Liz’s aggressive pronouncements left suspicions that the UK could intervene in the conflict in favor of Ukraine and attack Russia, which is why her speeches were considered unacceptable, motivating Russian nuclear mobilization.
“There were unacceptable statements about possible conflict situations and even confrontations and clashes between Nato and Russia. I will not name the authors of these statements, although it was the British foreign secretary”, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said at the time.
There is another fact to be mentioned, which is the widespread connivance of the Western powers with the nuclear crisis. Truss’ case appears to be the most serious of Western nuclear responsibility, but it is not the only one. It is Western aid that is causing problems in Zaporozhye, for example, where Ukrainian forces are constantly bombing the local nuclear plant with weapons sent by NATO members, creating high risks of radioactive contamination. It is possible to say that in the current security crisis the Western posture has been absolutely destabilizing, promoting risks in the nuclear issue unnecessarily – only in the name of the unjustified objective of “defeating Russia”.
Civil society in Western countries must mobilize to prevent their leaders from continuing to foment war and nuclear instability. A solid stance by the UN is also necessary, since condemning Truss’ speech is an obligation of all humanity, not just Russia. Also, in the UK, it is essential for the Conservative Party to rethink its internal structure and for Parliament to act responsibly, as it is unacceptable for a candidate for prime minister to say that she is “ready” to promote global annihilation.
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