Moscow will use nuclear weapons if Russia perceives an existential threat to its independence or sovereignty, President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed on Wednesday. This comes amid a spate of provocative rhetoric in NATO capitals, including discussions regarding deploying alliance troops to Ukraine.
During an interview with Russian state television, Putin said the Kremlin is prepared to resort to nuclear weapons use if there is a threat to “the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence.” He continued, “All that is written in our strategy, we haven’t changed it.”
The Russian leader was asked if he ever considered using tactical battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, but he said that has not been necessary. Putin explained he does not believe the world is heading for nuclear war. Rather, he feels that Joe Biden, his American counterpart, is a veteran politician who comprehends the dire risks of any escalation that would reach such a threshold.
However, Putin did address the hawkish remarks made by NATO officials and even heads of state recently, saying “the nations that say they have no red lines regarding Russia should realize that Russia won’t have any red lines regarding them either.”
Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s top diplomat, embraced French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent remarks that “nothing can be ruled out” regarding the deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine. “Now is the right time to discuss this,” Landsbergis enthused. “Starting this conversation erases the red lines we have imposed on ourselves,” he added.
Likewise, Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski confirmed the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine last Friday during an event celebrating Warsaw’s 25-year membership with the alliance. “NATO soldiers are already present in Ukraine. And I would like to thank the ambassadors of those countries who have taken that risk.”
The head of the German Air Force along with other officers were caught on a leaked tape acknowledging the presence of British troops in the embattled country, where those forces are helping Ukrainian forces fire the Storm Shadow missiles London has provided. The UK confirmed a week earlier that “a small number” of British troops are on the ground “supporting the armed forces of Ukraine.”
The officers also discussed plans to provide Taurus missiles to Kyiv, weapons which have a range of roughly 300 miles, in hopes of carrying out attacks against Russia. The Kremlin responded by saying this “makes it clear that plans to carry out strikes inside Russia are under discussion.”
Following Macron’s inflammatory comments, Putin addressed the Federal Assembly and made clear “[our] strategic nuclear forces are on full combat alert, and the ability to use them is assured.”
He went further, pointing to the possibility of nuclear attacks on NATO states, emphasizing “Now they have started talking about the possibility of deploying NATO military contingents to Ukraine… They must grasp that we also have weapons – yes, they know this, as I have just said – capable of striking targets on their territory.”
Putin highlighted Kyiv’s failing war effort and said Washington as well as Ukraine’s other Western backers will have to negotiate a deal to end the war on terms Russia finds acceptable. “It shouldn’t be a break for the enemy to rearm, but a serious talk involving the guarantees of security for the Russian Federation.”
In 2022, former German chancellor Angela Merkel and other officials suggested that the Berlin and Paris brokered Minsk Accords, which were agreed to by Ukraine and Russia and backed by the US and UN, were secretly meant to “give Ukraine time” to build up a formidable military for a war with Russia. The accords were intended to resolve the civil war in Ukraine following the US-backed 2014 coup in Kyiv which ultimately led to Russia’s invasion eight years later.
Reuters reported on Wednesday that the Kremlin made efforts at the end of 2023 and the beginning of this year to reach a ceasefire deal with the US. But Washington once again rejected a diplomatic option.
In April 2022, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a tentative peace agreement, which culminated in a draft treaty that could have ended the war. The White House, London, and Brussels refused the deal. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, representing the “collective West,” told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky not to negotiate so NATO could use the opportunity to bleed Russia in a protracted conflict.
The goal of the proxy war is to “weaken” Russia militarily, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin revealed shortly thereafter. Since then, the project has failed. Western weapons stocks have dried up, Russia’s artillery production has significantly outstripped the entire NATO alliance, Kyiv lost control of a fifth of its territory, and half a million Ukrainian soldiers have been killed or seriously injured.
Connor Freeman is the assistant editor and a writer at the Libertarian Institute, primarily covering foreign policy. He is a co-host on the Conflicts of Interest podcast. His writing has been featured in media outlets such as Antiwar.com, Counterpunch, and the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. He has also appeared on Liberty Weekly, Around the Empire, and Parallax Views. You can follow him on Twitter @FreemansMind96.
Headline: “Putin Threatens To Use Nukes as NATO Continues Sabre Rattling”
Is a reminder of a published policy a threat?
What would be so bad about encouraging Ukraine to adopt a policy of neutrality like Ireland and Switzerland?
Because when a woman is being raped, you don’t encourage her husband to remain neutral.
And when a hostile military is encroaching your borders after promising “not one inch eastward”, you don’t bend over and take it up the ass.
Was Ukraine being raped or was the East responding to the rape (coup) in Kievr by refusing to be ruled by an illegitimate American pupet government..?????!!!
Ukraine was being raped.
You dipsh!t.
Any other stupid questions?
Neutrally means becoming a slave country to Russia thus doing whatever Russia ask them to do such as: Ukraine full demilitarization and control of their territory and economy to name a few.
Neutrality with Russia isn’t really neutrality. So yes. It is not just hard but very fcking hard.
Question to you; what would be so hard about encouraging Russia to pull the F out of Ukraine? It’s not their country.
Question to you; what would be so hard about England pulling the F out of Ireland? It’s not their country either.
Ask the UK.
Im pro Ireland independence.
Dipsh!t.
I’m glad your pro Ireland independence. Ireland won independence back in 1922, dingbat. I was referring to Britain giving back the Six counties it claims as “British” in the northeast part of the island of Ireland.
The CRAZY Nuland Neocon 2014 coup and adopting the Nazis into Ukraine’s political influencers has precipitated the desire & freedom to confront Russia. But Russia is not willing to Surender any of it’security by having NATO nukes on it’s border. Hence this war. It is almost over and now these NATO states that did conspire with the coup & “weaken Russia plans are now feeling the heat and are now clutching at straws. It’s too late, they have lost and time is up.
You said Nuland.
Enough said with your stupidity.
Putin can make Nuke threats all he wants.
We are used to it.
He should remember though, he is not the only one with Nukes and the other guys’ Nuke Capabilities are really fcking modern.
What a JOKE as if the U.S. arsenal is up to date…!!!! and the Russian one is old & dated. Actually the EXACT OPPOSITE IS TRUE… Russia has the most recently updated weapons & missiles to deliver. Big News last few days, Yemen has & tested, hypersonic missiles!!!! Even N. Korea has hypersonics, the U.S. recently abandoned it’s principle hypersonics program. And on Nukes, Russia has nukes with 4000 times the blast force those of U.S & NATO!!! The war on terror distracted and diverted the U.S. from keeping up with Russia& China in peer to peer nuclear & missile progress. In reality, more & more all they have left is massive planet destroying retaliation as playing nuclear war chicken as their last refuge of deterrence. It is disgusting how low they have stooped. Genocide on helpless women & children seems to be their latest cause!!!!!!!!!
Yeah yeah, whatever you say, so go ahead and fire the first pickle.
Then Find out the hard way how super modern and advanced the Russia “ nuke program “ is. 🤣
Go ahead, fire and find out. 🤷🏽♂️
Are you just ill-informed or stupid…????
Hypersonics are currently unstoppable. And no state has a hypersonic air defense system. As far as the the 200 megaton Tzar bombs go they could level the entire capitol of most the smaller NATO members. Not any thing I would like to see, but perhaps it would be more intelligent to avoid provoking the bear any further than they have already done, for their own wellbeing
The largest nuclear device ever detonated was done by Russia. Sixty megatons if I remember correctly.
I have intellectually advanced and became so morally superior to the level that I no longer like red lines. I want to manifest my destiny. If redlines saved our lives in the past, that doesn’t necessarily mean they would save our lives in the future. Manifest our destiny together in “Freedom and Democracy!” Who is with me?
I thought we were fighting this thing until the last Ukrainian? I was like, I feel bad for them but well if that’s what they want to do, then it’s up to them. Now you’re telling me we’re fighting this thing until the last of all of us? …Okay. Fine. Carry on. I just wanted to check.
As others have noted, there is zero change in Russia’s nuclear posture.
And as Martyanov says daily, the morons running the EU have no clue about real war and the military balance, which is why they talk like they do. The real problem, as he also says daily, is that the military commanders of those countries – including the US – are also clueless about the military balance. So the EU leaders are getting bad advice as well. That’s where the risk comes in.
Only France and England have nuclear weapons and there is little chance their arsenal levels can penetrate Russian air defenses. Russia could easily preempt any such strike using its hypersonic weapons with conventional warheads. Only NATO subs with nuclear missiles would remain a threat and Russian air defense could probably handle that, albeit a couple “leakers” might make it through. Which would result in the obliteration of the EU countries involved.
NATO is a toothless dog with zero capability to significantly threaten Russia without nukes. So unless France and England are prepared to start WWIII, nothing they do will impact the Ukraine conflict significantly. Any troops they send, as Scott Ritter says, “will simply die.”
“NATO is a toothless dog with zero capability to significantly threaten
Russia without nukes. So unless France and England are prepared to start
WWIII, nothing they do will impact the Ukraine conflict significantly.”
“Toothless dog” may be a bit of an overstatement, but there are certainly no forces in Europe capable of winning a land war against Russia. No one in the UK would even try and Macron would be turfed out and locked up as a dangerous madman if he attempted to do more than rant.
Kudos to Connor Freeman for such a ballsy heading.
180 from Dave D.
Keep them coming and Bring us back the real Antiwar.com spirit.
Keep poking a nuclear armed bear and your capital city will become barbecue!
Helsinki, Paris and London are in jeopardy of receiving a 10,000 degree day.
What a great Idea. Jin up a war with Ukraine to weaken Russia. All the clever Neocons cackling like witches. “It’s genius!!!!!” Too bad no one told them that Russia had come up with amazing new weapons, hypersonic missiles & nukes 4000 times the explosive force of U.S. & NATO ones, top of the line air defenses. No worry, they will outsmart their clodish kit, & strangle them with sanctions and boycotts. Two years later the picture ain’t quite so rosy and the hapless Ukies are low on ammo, and worse yet human cannon fodder. In the earlier days the war was not really going their way so the U.S. & NATO decided to send them “game changer” HIMARS long range “guided” artillery systems. They got some good hits for the evening news in Crimea. but soon after these projectiles began ton go rogue and detonate everywhere but their intended targets. The Russians had learned to hack them midair! All this time the Neocon authors who instigated this war never have decided to cut their losses and find some acceptable exit, but after all they had the U.S. paying all the bills and it was the Ukies doing all the dying & OOOOO bad for Ukraine, another war has broken out, that is more dear than Ukraine which is sucking all the “go” out of their Ukraine project. Tune in next week or three to learn what comes next. One thing is clear, it won’t be any swift Ukie victory… More likely a Ukie collapse if it has not occurred already. They seem to be on the run.
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