Australia could get US nukes – Russian security chief

Australia could host American nuclear weapons at some point, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has warned. Washington is also eyeing Japan and South Korea as deployment options, he told a Russia-ASEAN meeting on Wednesday.

The US military could deploy Typhon missile systems in southwestern Japan for the Valiant Shield and Orient Shield joint exercises as early as next month. The systems are specifically designed to fire nuclear-capable Tomahawk missiles. The Japanese embassy in Moscow has stated that the Typhon system would be “stored” at a US base in Japan after the drills, claiming that this does not amount to “permanent deployment.”

“Japan and the Republic of Korea are preparing to host American nuclear weapons on their territory,” Shoigu told the Russia-ASEAN security meeting. “Such weapons could also end up on the territory of Australia because of its participation in the AUKUS partnership.”

Canberra joined the AUKUS security pact with the US and UK in 2021. Under the deal, the US agreed to provide the Australian Navy with the nuclear technology needed to produce and operate Virginia-class submarines. The Australian Submarine Agency maintains that its acquisition of nuclear-powered undersea vessels does not breach the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The move could be part of America’s military buildup strategy in the Asia-Pacific, the Russian security council secretary stated. Washington is preparing to employ “tried and true methods for extracting money from its vassals for American adventures” in Asia, Shoigu warned, adding that the US and Japan are already discussing the formation of an Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization mirroring NATO.

A bill was introduced in the US Congress last month that would oblige President Donald Trump to create a task force to explore potential avenues for creating a NATO-like structure in the Asia-Pacific and assess their feasibility. Tokyo called for such a bloc as early as in 2024.

Both Moscow and Beijing have previously expressed concern about potential NATO expansion into Asia. In October, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused NATO of seeking to turn the entire Eurasian continent into a “fiefdom” aimed at “containing China, isolating Russia,” and confronting North Korea.