Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warns of increased security risks

MOSCOW: The deployment of US nuclear weapons in Southeast Asia would heighten regional security risks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, following his visit to Malaysia.

According to Russian media reports, Lavrov stated the United States has long been sharing nuclear weapons with its NATO partners in what it calls "joint nuclear missions," in which non-nuclear states can train their soldiers to use nuclear weapons. That practice is now shifting to Asia, Xinhua news agency reported.

"If this sad and rather risky experience (the deployment of US nuclear weapons in other countries) is brought to Southeast Asia, I think no one will benefit from it; the risks will increase," he said.

The United States is "impudently" pushing its military infrastructure, including strategic weapons, into the region, militarising Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific, Lavrov said. He mentioned AUKUS, a project to build nuclear-powered submarines involving the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

AUKUS aims to instill "tolerance in the Asian region concerning the deployment of nuclear weapons components," Lavrov said. It "must be put under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency" for "full transparency."

Lavrov also said the recent agreement between the United States and South Korea on joint nuclear planning is yet another extension of US strategic influence in the region. (IANS)

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