US skips UN meeting on nuclear weapons ban

The United States has decided to skip a UN conference aimed at negotiating a treaty outlawing nuclear weapons globally. The US ambassador to the UN has described the process as unrealistic.

The US is among some 40 countries which decided to boycott the event. More than 100 countries are participating in the first UN talks aimed at achieving a legally binding ban on nuclear weapons. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons has slammed Washington for boycotting the meeting. The executive director of the group Beatrice Fihn accused the Trump administration of trying to legitimize weapons designed to destroy whole cities. This as the US President has recently pledged to expand America’s nuclear arsenal. Last week, the White House said it is reviewing whether the US will keep its policy of nuclear disarmament.