Russian President Vladimir Putin has made an alarming statement related to the use of nuclear weapons, which is a harbinger of the most dangerous phase of the war in Ukraine, reported AP.
The message to NATO from President Vladimir Putin was simple and stark: don't go too far in providing military support to Ukraine or risk a conflict with Russia that could quickly turn nuclear.
Putin has said he does not need nuclear weapons to achieve his goals. But he also says it is wrong for the West to assume that Russia will never use them. This could become the most dangerous phase in the war.
Moscow held exercises with its tactical nuclear weapons in southern Russia and with its ally Belarus, where nuclear missiles have been deployed, in 2023. Russian Defense Ministry videos showed Iskander missile launchers, warplanes capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and sea-based missiles. The Kremlin described the drills as a response to the West considering deploying NATO troops to Ukraine and allowing Kiev to use longer-range weapons for limited strikes on Russian territory.
Sending nuclear threats and signals has been an enduring trend in Russia's actions amid the war in Ukraine. Nuclear threats are one means of signaling the Kremlin's commitment to winning the war in the hope of deterring Western intervention.
Putin said Moscow does not need nuclear weapons to win in Ukraine. At the same time, however, he warned that Kiev's strikes on Russian territory with longer-range Western-supplied weapons would mark a major escalation as they involve Western intelligence and military personnel - something the West denies.
„Representatives of NATO members, especially in small European countries, need to be aware of what they are playing with,” he said, adding that they could be wrong to rely on US protection if Russia strikes them.
Since the beginning of the war “hawks” are pushing for a review of the doctrine that Moscow can use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear strike or an attack with conventional weapons that threatens “very existence” of the Russian state. Some of them argue that the threshold is too high, leaving the West with the impression that the Kremlin will never reach for its nuclear arsenal.
Some Russian military experts said Moscow could declare a no-fly zone over the Black Sea to limit US intelligence flights that help Ukraine strike targets in Russia. In late June, the Defense Department threatened to take unspecified action against US drones there.