Putin: “We don’t need a nuclear attack on Ukraine and it doesn’t make any political or military sense”

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech this Thursday at the Valdai Discussion Club where he spoke about the nuclear threat. “We do not need a nuclear attack on Ukraine. This has no political or military meaning,” he said. The president also added that “as long as there are nuclear weapons, there is a danger of their use.”

However, since the start of the war, Putin has repeatedly toyed with the nuclear threat. Within days of the invasion, he put his nuclear forces on alert. Last month, after announcing “partial mobilization” and the annexation of several occupied territories, the president assured that Russia would “use all the means at its disposal to defend its territory.” “I’m not bluffing,” he added.

This Wednesday, Putin himself oversaw a military test that simulated a “massive nuclear attack” and launched several missiles. The United States confirmed that Russia had previously notified it of its intention to hold these annual nuclear drills. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday: “We have not seen anything to suggest at this time that this is any kind of covert activity” against Ukraine.

“We have a military doctrine, let them read it,” Putin said about the use of nuclear weapons. According to Russian military doctrine, Moscow reserves the right to use nuclear weapons against Russia, its allies in response to the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and in the event of aggression against the Russian Federation with conventional weapons when there is a threat to the state.

This doctrine has led some US analysts to conclude that Russia has adopted a strategy of “escalation to de-escalation”, in which it can threaten to use nuclear weapons if it loses a conflict with a NATO member in order to persuade the US and its defense alliance allies to withdraw from the conflict. Other experts in Russia and the West reject this interpretation, as stated by A Congressional think tank report US Congressional Research Service.

In his speech, Putin repeated unsubstantiated allegations that Ukraine is preparing a “dirty bomb” to use against Russia. A dirty bomb is a conventional explosive device mixed with another substance that may be radioactive material. “Kiev is doing everything to hide the remains of the dirty bomb. “We even know approximately where it is produced,” he said. “I asked for it [el ministro de Defensa] Shoigu will call his foreign colleagues and warn them about the danger of this provocation,” he added.

The accusations have alarmed Western officials, but on the other hand have led to an unusual increase in contacts between Russian and Western leaders. Regarding possible negotiations, Putin said he is “prepared to resolve any issue”. Still, much of his speech was directed against what the West sees as justifying the invasion of Ukraine as a defensive maneuver.

“The current fuss about nuclear threats is primitive: the West is looking for additional arguments to confront Russia. He wants to influence his allies and neutral countries,” Putin said.

The president also spoke about international economic sanctions and assured that Russia is resisting. “The height of the sanctions has passed, the Russian economy has adapted, and all that remains is to create supply chains and reduce costs,” he noted.

Source: El Diario

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