The “main priority” is to avoid a war between nuclear powers which would have “catastrophic consequences”, declared Russian diplomacy on Wednesday, in full tension between Moscow and the West around Ukraine.
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“In the difficult and turbulent situation we are going through, which is the result of irresponsible and shameless actions aimed at undermining our national security, the main priority is to prevent any confrontation between nuclear powers,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Foreign Affairs.
Russia calls on other countries with the ultimate weapon to “solve this priority task” by stopping their “dangerous attempts to encroach on the vital interests of others”.
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“Catastrophic consequences”
If Western countries aiding Ukraine continue to “stand on the threshold of direct armed conflict (with Moscow) and encourage provocations with weapons of mass destruction”, it could have “catastrophic consequences”, added Russian diplomacy.
“Russia remains guided by the principle that a nuclear war, in which there can be no winner, is inadmissible and must never break out,” the ministry said.
He recalled, however, that Moscow’s nuclear doctrine provided for “strictly defensive” recourse to atomic weapons in the event of an attack on Russia with weapons of mass destruction or in the event of aggression with conventional weapons “threatening the very existence of the state.
These statements come as Western countries accuse Moscow of brandishing the threat of nuclear war to dissuade them from supporting Ukraine, where Russia has been leading a military offensive since the end of February.
Threat
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials have repeatedly made more or less veiled statements evoking a possible use of nuclear weapons.
The American newspaper New York Times, citing unnamed American officials, reported on Wednesday that Russian military leaders had recently discussed the possibility of using a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, which is less powerful than a conventional nuclear bomb.
Mr. Poutine did not take part in these exchanges and no sign of preparation was detected, specified these anonymous sources. But these discussions have reinforced concern in Western capitals, which wonder if the Kremlin’s threats can materialize, according to the daily.