Doomsday clock moves to 90 seconds before midnight

Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The hands on the "Doomsday Clock" by the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was moved forward 10 seconds because of Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine to 90 seconds before midnight.

The nuclear weapons threat posed by Russia presents a "mounting danger," moving the world closer to global catastrophe.

"Ukraine's sovereignty and broader European security arrangements that have largely held since the end of World War II are at stake," the Bulletin said. "Also, Russia's war on Ukraine has raised profound questions about how states interact, eroding norms of international conduct that underpin successful responses to a variety of global risks."

"And worst of all, Russia's thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict -- by accident, intention, or miscalculation -- is a terrible risk."

The Doomsday Clock had sat at 100 seconds since 2020. The Doomsday Clock recognized its 75th anniversary in 2022, when scientists worried about the emergence of misinformation that could send the world to a catastrophic event.

The Bulletin said one of the things that worries them the most is that the current prospect for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine appears dim, indicating the world may be facing an elevated threat of nuclear weapons for a nuclear accident for some time to come.

"There is no clear pathway for forging a just peace that discourages future aggression under the shadow of nuclear weapons," the Bulletin said. "But at a minimum, the United States must keep the door open to principled engagement with Moscow that reduces the dangerous increase in nuclear risk the war has fostered.

"One element of risk reduction could involve sustained, high-level U.S. military-to-military contacts with Russia to reduce the likelihood of miscalculation. The U.S. government, its NATO allies, and Ukraine have a multitude of channels for dialogue; they all should be explored."