In the context of the Ukraine crisis, Russia would only use nuclear weapons if it faced a “existential threat,” according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“We have a concept of domestic security that is open to the public.” “You can read all the justifications for using nuclear weapons,” Peskov stated. “If it poses an existential threat to our country, it can be deployed in accordance with our strategy.”
Peskov made the remark in response to Christiane Amanpour’s question on whether he was “convinced or certain” that President Vladimir Putin would not employ the nuclear option in the Ukraine situation.
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On February 28, just days after Russian troops invaded Ukraine, Putin said that the country’s strategic nuclear forces had been placed on high alert, causing global concern.
He told reporters, “It’s not the way a responsible nuclear power should act.”
However, Pentagon officials “haven’t seen anything that would lead us to infer that we need to adjust our strategic deterrent posture,” according to Kirby.
“Every day, we monitor this as best we can,” he added.
Russia has the world’s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons and has received little international support for its invasion on Ukraine.
Western defense officials said following Putin’s February announcement that they had not seen any significant sign of mobilization of Russia’s nuclear forces — its strategic bombers, missiles, and submarines.
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But Moscow has also warned that if the United States and NATO allies supplied Ukraine with fighter jets, it could escalate and expand the war, potentially putting Russia in direct confrontation with nuclear-armed rivals in the West.
Earlier this month Beatrice Fihn, who leads the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, warned Putin is using nuclear “blackmail” to keep the international community from interfering in his Ukraine invasion.
“This is one of the scariest moments really when it comes to nuclear weapons,” she said.
Questioned further about Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, Peskov said it had no intention of occupying its neighbor and asserted his country was not attacking civilians.
The main goals of the “operation,” he said, are “to get rid of the military potential of Ukraine.”
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“This is why our military are targeting only military goals and military objects on the territory of Ukraine. Not civil ones,” he said.
Widespread photographic and video evidence supports human rights groups’ allegations that Russian forces have attacked numerous civilian targets in the ex-Soviet state.
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