(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Over the past two decades, people in Russia have become averse to the pursuit of nuclear disarmament, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. Only 19 per cent of respondents want to discard all nuclear arms in the country, down 29 points since 1991.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Over the past two decades, people in Russia have become averse to the pursuit of nuclear disarmament, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. Only 19 per cent of respondents want to discard all nuclear arms in the country, down 29 points since 1991.
Before the start of 2005, seven countries in the world—Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, Russia and the United States—had acknowledged possessing nuclear arsenals. Under the "strategic ambiguity" policy, Israel has refused to publicly discuss its purported nuclear capabilities. In February 2005, the government of North Korea admitted publicly for the first time that it possesses nuclear weapons.
On Apr. 8, U.S. president Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev signed the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START),committing to reduce their nuclear arsenals by a third and halve the number of missiles and bombers.
On Jul. 12, Medvedev urged Iran to "explain" its nuclear program—which the Iranian government insists is for civilian purposes only—adding that he worries that the country "is getting closer" to developing nuclear weapons.
Polling Data
What do you think, should Russia pursue nuclear disarmament, or maintain its existing nuclear capabilities?
|
|
2010
|
1991
|
|
Pursue nuclear disarmament
|
19%
|
48%
|
|
Maintain its existing nuclear capabilities
|
60%
|
32%
|
|
Not sure
|
22%
|
21%
|
Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,600 Russian adults, conducted on May 1 and May 2, 2010. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.
