Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, a best friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, reiterated his caution on nuclear weapons against countries that “test our resolve,” saying Moscow will safeguard its national interests “whatever they may be. ” the case. “
Newsweek contacted the Russian government through an online form for comment Wednesday morning.
Throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow has warned the West against escalating tensions, using its nuclear stockpile to remind other countries what Russia is capable of. Russia has the largest nuclear stockpile in the world, with the U.S. closely following. Combined, Moscow and Washington have control of roughly 90 percent of the world’s nuclear warheads.
Putin updated Russia’s nuclear doctrine in November, lowering the threshold for Moscow to use its massive nuclear weapons arsenal. The new doctrine allows a conceivable nuclear reaction through Russia even in the face of a traditional attack through a country subsidized by a nuclear power. This would theoretically put Ukraine at risk of a nuclear attack, since the United States supports kyiv.
Lavrov told Russian television, according to a report published Wednesday via Russia’s official Tass news agency: “We do not seek to increase the dangers related to the use of nuclear weapons, because we firmly defend the precept that in a nuclear conflict there are no winners. “.
“However, I caution that we should not test our commitment to safeguarding our valid national interests through any means necessary,” he added.
The foreign minister blamed the West for the continuing dialogue about potential nuclear war.
“We never started discussions about what to do with nuclear weapons and the option of using them,” Lavrov told Russian television. “On the contrary, it was on Russia’s initiative that the Gorbachev-Reagan formula according to which there can be no winner in a nuclear war and that it will never have to be unleashed was first reinstated, at the behest of Putin and Biden, then , later, in the case of the five nuclear countries that are permanent members of the UN Security Council.
He added: “All other proposals, including concepts for a nuclear war or similar statements, have exclusively originated from Western capitals.”
Lavrov accused multiple member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of making threatening statements about their nuclear stockpiles or the potential use of nuclear weapons.
Admiral Tony Radakin, head of the British army, said in a speech in December: “From Russia we have noted savage threats of tactical nuclear use, large-scale nuclear exercises and simulations of counterattacks on NATO countries. “
This is “all designed to coerce us from taking the action required to maintain stability,” Radakin said.
NATO countries are waiting for “the dawn of a third nuclear age,” Radadin added, after the past era of disarmament and counterproliferation, which followed the initial outbreak of the nuclear arms race at the height of the Cold War.
Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters in November: “We aren’t surprised by Russia’s update to its nuclear doctrine…It’s the same irresponsible rhetoric that we’ve seen before and that we’ve seen frankly for the past two years.
“So that’s all we’re going to continue to monitor, but we don’t have any indication that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon on Ukraine. And we don’t see any adjustments that can be made to our policy,” he said. “Plus, so does our own nuclear posture. “
Contacted via Newsweek for comment on Lavrov’s comments, the US Department of Defense said: “The branch has no statements to provide. “
February 24, 2025 will mark the third anniversary of the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, which began when Putin announced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
kyiv fought a strangely effective fight against Moscow and its Western allies. US President Joe Biden is close best friends with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, with Biden replaced by President-elect Donald Trump in January, the United States’ position in the war could change.
Update 12/25/24, 12:51 p. m. ET: This story has been updated with a response from the U. S. Department of Defense.
Rachel Dobkin is a Newsweek reporter in New York. Its objective is to inform about politics. Rachel joined Newsweek in October 2023. She graduated from the State University of New York at Oneonta. You can contact Rachel by emailing r. dobkin@newsweek. com. Languages: English.