Five World Powers Vow to Avoid Nuclear Arms Race, Prevent Proliferation

Five nuclear-armed powers issued a joint statement Monday on preventing nuclear war and avoiding an arms race, noting their solidarity amid rising tensions among global powers.

Noting the “far-reaching consequences” of their use, China, the U.S., Russia, the U.K. and France affirmed in the statement that nuclear weapons “should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war” and that “the further spread of such weapons must be prevented.”