British Prime Minister's stark warning: A new era of nuclear threats and bold moves
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned that we are closer to nuclear escalation than at any moment since the Cuban Missile Crisis. He believes that "more will change in the next five years than in the last 30 years." In his speech, Sunak called out Putin's "recklessness". He also announced that the UK is ready to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights, "if necessary".
13 May 2024 16:51
In a speech delivered at the Policy Exchange think tank, Sunak said that this year's House of Commons elections present a choice between the future and the past, emphasizing that his Conservative Party alone possesses the vision and capability to tackle the challenges ahead.
Sunak shared his "deep sense of urgency, because in the next five years more will change than in the last 30 years".
"Over the next few years, from our democracy to our society to our economy to the hardest questions of war and peace, almost every aspect of our lives is going to change," he said.
Putin's Recklessness and Nuclear Escalation
Sunak identified Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China as countries seeking to "undermine" British values. He singled out Vladimir Putin, stating that "the recklessness of the Russian president has brought us dangerously close to a nuclear escalation more than ever since the Cuban Missile Crisis" (in 1962).
"These are not distant issues," Sunak emphasized, pointing out recent cyber-attacks by Chinese hackers on British parliamentarians and poisonings carried out by Russia on British soil.
UK to Denounce the European Convention on Human Rights? "If necessary"
Sunak mentioned that prioritizing national security is essential for securing the country's future and suggested he is willing to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights, if necessary.
Sunak strikes at political opponents
He acknowledged that during 14 years of Conservative Party rule, "not everything worked out as planned", but claimed that the opposition Labour Party "has almost nothing to say" regarding its plans for handling power in areas like illegal immigration, energy security, or the economy.
The House of Commons elections are likely to be held in the second half of this year. The Conservative Party is trailing the Labour Party by an average of just over 20 percentage points in the polls, though this gap has stretched up to 30 points in some individual polls.
