According to a report in the military affairs news source Spacewar Brazil is developing its first nuclear submarine.
On the other side of the planet, Japan is considering abandoning its “peace” constitution due to the increasing threat from China. In Europe, previously unaligned Sweden is rebuilding its armed forces. India is also developing powerful advanced weapons. In the Middle East, there is concern that a nuclear arms race will develop in the wake of the weakening of sanctions against Iran.
Many nations that have extensive civilian needs are diverting scarce resources towards armaments. This didn’t happen in a vacuum. It is a clear reflection of the diminished presence, power, and will of the United States and NATO.
Trapped in a time warp of wishful thinking, American and European governments continue to conduct their foreign affairs and military spending as though history had ended when the Soviet Union collapsed. The resurgence of Moscow, the rise of China, the proliferation of advanced atomic capabilities in nations with antagonistic governments such as those in Tehran and Pyongyang appear to have escaped the concern of Washington and its European counterparts.
Western leaders apparently have adopted a firm belief in the potential of diplomacy unsupported by armed strength when dealing with aggressive powers, a concept that is unsubstantiated by any current or historical evidence. This has replaced a candid acceptance of the facts as they truly exist.
As a result, other nations, no longer protected by the great Western powers, have scrambled to devise their own deterrent. That is not necessarily inappropriate; nations should be their own first line of defense. But in the face of the growing alliance between Russia, China, North Korea and Iran, those smaller nations will not stand a chance of success in any conflict or threat of conflict.
That fact encourages aggression, and will lead to increasingly widespread warfare.