A British adviser warns about risks of nuclear war due to deterioration of communication with China and RF

The West risks entering into a nuclear conflict with China or Russia due to a "break in communication" with the two countries.

This was said by Stephen Lovegrove, a United Kingdom National Security Adviser, during a speech in Washington, Yevropeiska Pravda online media writes.

According to him, the erosion of shadow channels of communication has led to an increase in the probability of an accidental escalation into war.

Lovegrove said he believed the deterioration in communications with China and Russia created a higher risk of "a rapid escalation into a strategic conflict."

"The two monolithic blocs of the Cold War era - the USSR and NATO - although not without alarming blows - were able to achieve a common understanding of the doctrine, which is absent today. The doctrine is opaque in Moscow and Beijing, not to mention Pyongyang or Tehran," he noted.

"During the Cold War, we benefited from a series of negotiations and dialogues that improved our understanding of Soviet doctrine and capabilities, and vice versa. This gave us both a higher level of confidence that we would not miscalculate nuclear war," the national security adviser added.

"Today, we are not on the same footing with others who may threaten us in the future, particularly with China. Here, Great Britain strongly supports President Biden's proposed negotiations with China as an important step," Lovegrove said.

Lovegrove praised the White House's decision to resume cooperation with China, but also highlighted the risks of technological progress.

"We have clear concerns about China's nuclear modernization program, which will increase both the number and types of nuclear weapons systems in its arsenal," he said.

Despite the increased risks, Lovegrove said much of the current security architecture remains "vital," such as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, as well as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. However, he added that the reality is that "modern structures alone will not provide what we need for a modern arms control system."

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Defense also spoke about the war in Ukraine:

"I fear that the conflict follows a pattern of deliberate and reckless actions by Russia aimed at undermining the global security architecture. It is a scheme that includes the illegal annexation of Crimea, the use of chemical and radiological weapons on the territory of Great Britain and repeated violations that led to the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and shorter range," Lovegrove noted.

"And we will continue to hold Russia accountable for its destabilizing actions as an international community," he added.

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