Leaders of a group of atomic bomb survivors who received the Nobel Peace Prize warned on Saturday about the increasing risk of nuclear war and reiterated their call for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Shigemitsu Tanaka, a survivor of the 1945 US bombing of Nagasaki and co-leader of the Nihon Hidankyo group, expressed concern, saying, "The global situation is worsening, with wars now being fought as countries threaten to use nuclear weapons." He added, "I fear humanity is on a path to self-destruction. Abolishing nuclear weapons is the only solution."
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the survivors to highlight the destruction caused by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the group's decades-long efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons, which are especially important in today's world. The committee did not mention any specific countries.
Next August will mark the 80th anniversary of the bombings, likely bringing attention to the legacy of the survivors, known as "hibakusha," and sparking renewed debate on nuclear weapons.
Many Japanese believe the US should apologize for the bombings, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and led to Japan's surrender days later. Since then, Japan has relied on the US for protection, renouncing the right to wage war and maintaining a military solely for self-defense.
Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that Moscow might consider using nuclear weapons if the US and its allies allow Ukraine to launch long-range missile attacks deep into Russia.
