Amid Sunday's commemorations of the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the alarming resurgence of nuclear threats from Russia.
Japan paid tribute to the 140,000 lives lost in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, followed by 74,000 more in Nagasaki three days later, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on these cities at the close of World War II.
Speaking at the ceremony in Hiroshima, Kishida, whose family hails from this scarred city, asserted Japan's steadfast commitment to a nuclear-free world.
"As the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings in war, Japan will persist in its efforts towards global nuclear disarmament," Kishida said.
However, he also voiced concerns over the escalating divisions within the international community regarding nuclear disarmament and the ominous nuclear threats emanating from Russia.
"With the world witnessing such precarious times, it becomes even more imperative to galvanize international momentum toward realizing a nuclear-free world," he said.
Kishida's remarks echoed the sentiments expressed by U.N. Chief Antonio Guterres, who marked the Hiroshima anniversary with a firm declaration: "Any use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable."
Guterres, in his statement, highlighted the worrisome re-emergence of some countries recklessly brandishing the "nuclear saber" and imperiling global peace.
The commemorative ceremony drew thousands of attendees, including survivors, bereaved families and dignitaries from a record 111 countries, all converging to pay respects to the victims and advocate for lasting world peace.
Notably absent from the proceedings for the second consecutive year were Russia and Belarus, shunned from the ceremony due to the ongoing Ukraine crisis.
While Kishida has endeavored to elevate nuclear disarmament on the global agenda, the road ahead is challenging.
Despite efforts to reduce stockpiles, Russia's veiled threats of nuclear use in Ukraine, coupled with North Korea's persistent missile tests, hamper progress toward non-proliferation.
Adding urgency to the cause, more than 100 medical journals worldwide issued a rare joint call for immediate action to eliminate nuclear weapons, warning of the grave and growing threat of a nuclear catastrophe.
Coinciding with the anniversary, the U.S. released the blockbuster biopic "Oppenheimer," chronicling the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a key figure in the creation of atomic weapons.
As the world reflects on the dark legacy of nuclear devastation, the film serves as a poignant reminder of the horrors that unfolded 78 years ago.
