Jakarta, Sketsa.id – Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has warned that Australia could potentially host United States nuclear weapons in the future. Alongside Australia, Japan and South Korea are also identified as Washington’s targets for deploying weapons of mass destruction.

Shoigu delivered the warning during the Russia-ASEAN forum on Wednesday (27/5/2026), describing the move as part of Washington’s broader military buildup in the Asia-Pacific region. “Such weapons could also end up on Australian territory due to its participation in the AUKUS partnership,” Shoigu said as reported by Russia Today on Thursday (28/5/2026).

Australia joined the AUKUS security pact with the US and the United Kingdom in 2021. Under the agreement, the US agreed to provide the Royal Australian Navy with nuclear technology needed to produce and operate Virginia-class submarines. Australia’s submarine agency maintains that acquiring nuclear-powered submarines does not violate the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

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The US military is reportedly set to deploy the Typhon missile system in southwestern Japan for the Valiant Shield and Orient Shield joint exercises as early as next month. The system is specifically designed to launch Tomahawk missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Japan’s embassy in Moscow stated that the Typhon system would be stored at US bases in Japan after the exercises, claiming this does not constitute a permanent deployment. Shoigu asserted that Japan and South Korea are currently preparing to host American nuclear weapons on their territories.

US and Japan Discuss NATO-Style Alliance in Asia

Shoigu further claimed that Washington is preparing to use proven methods to extract resources from its subordinate states for American adventures in Asia. He revealed that the US and Japan have already discussed forming an Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization modeled after NATO.

A bill was introduced in the US Congress last month that would require President Donald Trump to establish a task force to explore potential pathways for creating a NATO-style structure in the Asia-Pacific and assess its feasibility. Tokyo has been calling for such a bloc since as early as 2024.

Both Russia and China have previously expressed concerns about NATO’s potential expansion into Asia. In October 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused NATO of attempting to transform the entire Eurasian continent into a “domain of power” aimed at containing China, isolating Russia, and confronting North Korea. (*)