May 13, 2018 | Kalle Sysikask

During the last few months there has been some positive developments in relation to the situation in the Korean Peninsula. Even if President Trump and Kim Jong Un may be considered as unpredictable leaders it seems that both have faced restricting pressure domestically and regionally and in the coming times we have to assess the impact and see what this means.

President Putin announced in March that Russia has developed new nuclear weapons – an announcement no doubt as a reaction to the US Nuclear Posture review which was released in February, 2018.

Amid these developments many politicians and observers worldwide worry that nuclear weapons are back as a currency of geopolitics.

But we know and are trying to get people all over to understand that these weapons of mass destruction, never really left. The total stockpile numbers have come way done from their Cold War high but the mad strategic rationale for nuclear weapons remains.

Well over 100 states were supporting the new UN treaty to ban the nuclear weapons. It opened new ways to apply pressure on the nuclear powers and industry. But there remains a problem with the signings and ratifications. The only European countries until now who have signed the treaty are Austria, Ireland and Liechtenstein. In Finland the right-wing government is not going to sign but the situation may change after general election next year. In Sweden which is an important non-aligned country in Europe the government is considering the signature but there are problems, The Trump administration has said they will punish Sweden if they sign. Probably it is the same with Finland even if the government does not admit and is unwilling to sign because it wants to keep a close relationship to NATO. That is their policy because an overwhelming majority in Finland is opposing the NATO membership. In Sweden there is a split not only between the parties but in the prime minister’s socialist party too.

In Helsinki we arranged a goodwill Pippi Longstocking demonstration front of the Swedish embassy encouraging Sweden to sign the treaty and had a good discussion with the ambassador but these kinds of demonstrations are needed all over Europe – and why not in Asia, NZ and AUS – because if Sweden would sign it would make the atmosphere better in other European countries too.

So we need a lots of campaigning, lobbying, talking, writing, education, training and media attention still.

But we can also support and offer small steps in the right direction in preventing the nuclear catastrophe and making the situation better for further disarmament talks between the nuclear powers and in strengthening the international disarmament efforts.

There is the US-Soviet Agreement on the Prevention of Nuclear War from 1973, the two sides the US and Russia could use the agreement as the basis for a new political understanding by reaffirming it and asking China, France and UK to join. Adam Sherman who was Obama’s representative on nuclear arms issues has proposed this recently and I think it would be wise to constructively support these kinds of small steps too in order to break the current deadlock internationally and of course especially in US-Russia relations. This would be more symbolic but anyhow a step forward.

We have had talks on military spending here in Vietnam and In Ulan Bator AEPF Forum about two years ago. The major figures for nuclear weapons have not changed much except that China’s share is clearly increasing in both nuclear and arms expenditure. Further the militarization of the Indo Pacific Oceans has increased. The volume of international transfers of major weapons and other weapons is going more up too.

But on the positive side, the peace movements are strengthening campaigning against the arms trade especially in relation to the Middle East and to nearby areas Further, during this millennium we have achieved agreements on arms trade and small arms and such arms control should continue.

In Europe we have an increasing problem with The European Defence Fund, which the European Commission established in June 2017. The purpose of this Fund is to channel money for military products and technologies. The main beneficiaries of the Fund are the arms industry and their connected researchers.

For the years 2017-2020, 590 million euros will be channeled to the fund. For years 2021-2027 the minimum sum is estimated at 10,5 billion euros. In addition the member states are supposed to give altogether 30 billion euros from their own budgets. The fund consist of two parts.The fund supports the military capability of the member states and on the other hand it contributes to the economic growth and employment and innovations in the military field.

The establishing process of this Fund has been criticized because of lack of transparency. The Fund was planned by a working group where the Commission, against the rules never revealed who were the members of the group. Probably they were from the arms companies and during the last years the European arms industry has almost doubled its lobbying machine in Brussels. It seems that after the BREXIT, European security is being tried to be built by military means instead of the soft power and development co-operation.

It seems that The European Commission tries to make the arms industry like a normal part of businesses without really thinking or caring about the consequences. But the decisions are not final and there is a strong opposition in the European Parliament and by the peace movement.

In the Baltic Sea there is an increasing number of permanent groups and war exercises. That is why we have a campaign to call upon all governments in every country around the Baltic Sea to use their financial means to save the Baltic Sea. instead of financing armament and other environmentally polluting activities. We want to engage politicians, peace institutes, researchers, artists, well-known personalities and NGO’s to take part in our project to make the Baltic Sea a Sea of Peace.

Finally of course all these questions go back to the basic issue of the understanding that peace is absence of fear and presence of justice.

*** AEPF and Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation | Quang Ninh, Vietnam, 14-16 April 2018 | The Peace Union of Finland AEPF’s Peace and Security Coordination Group