Russian President Vladimir Putin had already expressed his serious concerns about the nature of the nuclear weapons that exist in the atomic arsenal in Pakistan with the possibility of proliferation to other countries. This was conveyed to the USA during meetings with the then US President George Bush.
The information is currently available after the release of documents by the National Security Archives in the USA between 2001-2008.
Dialogue between Putin and Bush
- In the year 2001, there were talks between Putin and Bush concerning Pakistan’s nuclear program, and it occurred at Slovenia. Putin believed that Pakistan was not pressed by the international community just as states that broke nuclear rules. Putin added that Pakistan was a military state with nuclear weapons; therefore, it lacked democracy. Putin was surprised that Western states had not acted tough against Pakistan.
- Bush was not opposed to Putin’s statements. He also acknowledged the troubling aspect of involving Pakistan in illegal nuclear activities. Both of them were very much concerned about the nuclear program of Pakistan, which was headed by Pervez Musharraf.
Issues Related to Nuclear Proliferation
- There was another meeting between Putin and Bush in 2005, in which Putin told Bush that there was a link between Pakistani uranium and Iran’s nuclear activities. This meant that there were irregularities in the handling of nuclear matters. Bush agreed that these irregulars posed a threat to international security.
- Leaders discussed the movement of the nuclear materials that were beyond their control. Bush said that high pressure had been applied to Pakistan after the actions of one individual, Abdul Qadeer Khan, were brought to light. Bush pointed out that this individual and his accomplices were held in custody. Bush, however, stated that it is yet to be known which countries and groups received nuclear materials from Pakistan.
Key Issues in International Law
These documents show that Putin often spoke about the risks of nuclear weapons falling into states where there was not a democratic system of control. Bush reported the need to prevent further proliferation of nuclear weaponry for global security. The issue of concern in the Indian government regarding the Pakistani Nuclear Stockpile has been an ongoing one. The recently released documents reveal that similar concerns also existed in Russian leadership.
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