It stated that the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council saw it as their primary responsibility to avert nuclear war and decrease strategic risks while also engaging with other countries to establish a secure environment.

According to a joint statement released by the Kremlin on Monday, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France have agreed that further proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear conflict should be avoided. It stated that the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council saw it as their primary responsibility to avert nuclear war and decrease strategic risks while also engaging with other countries to establish a secure environment. According to the declaration, nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought.

It went on to say that they must continue to argue that nuclear weapons should be used for defensive purposes, to deter aggression, and to avert conflict for as long as they exist.

According to the official news agency Xinhua, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu said the joint declaration might help enhance mutual trust and replace competition among great countries with coordination and collaboration.

France also issued a statement emphasising the five nations' commitment to nuclear weapons control and disarmament. It said that bilateral and multilateral methods to nuclear weapons control would be maintained. The declaration from the so-called P5 group comes as bilateral ties between the US and Russia have reached their lowest point since the Cold War's conclusion, while relations between Washington and China are also at an all-time low due to a variety of conflicts.

In November, the Pentagon substantially boosted its projection of China's future nuclear arsenal, saying Beijing may have 700 warheads by 2027 and potentially 1,000 by 2030. Washington has frequently asked China to sign up for a new weapons limitation deal with Russia. Concerns over Russia's military build-up in neighbouring Ukraine have heightened geopolitical tensions between Moscow and Western countries. Moscow claims it can manoeuvre its army across its borders as it sees fit.

Last Thursday, US Vice President Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that any act against Ukraine would result in sanctions and a more significant US presence in Europe. Officials from the United States and Russia will meet on January 10 to discuss their respective military activities and address rising tensions over Ukraine, the two countries announced. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, a major nuclear treaty meeting scheduled to begin on Tuesday at the United Nations has been postponed until August.