Russia Warns NATO Ally Not to Underestimate Nuclear War Threat

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Russia Warns NATO Ally Not to Underestimate Nuclear War Threat
Re: https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukra...threat-1906483
By: Published May 30, 2024 at 2:53 PM EDT by: Rachel Dobkin - Newsweek Reporter

Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin has warned the country, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), not to underestimate the threat of nuclear war.

It has been more than two years since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As the war rages on, Ukraine has received aid mainly from the United States and European countries. NATO has condemned Russia's invasion and stood by Ukraine in the conflict.

Denmark has pledged to deliver 19 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this summer as Ukraine's allies have been urged to consider loosening the reins on how Kyiv can use the weapons given to them.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in comments to Norwegian broadcaster TV2 on Tuesday that Kyiv is "welcome to use what we have donated to Ukraine, also outside of Ukraine—that is, on Russian targets—if it is within international law." However, she did not clarify if this would apply to the F-16 fighter aircraft.

Barbin told Danish news agency Ritzau that Frederiksen's "support for the idea of Ukraine using Copenhagen-supplied weapons against targets inside Russia could lead to the conflict spiraling out of control."

"Strikes by longer-range weapons require direct technical assistance from NATO countries, something Copenhagen is well aware of. However, Denmark seems to be willing to give Kyiv carte blanche to provoke a direct clash between NATO and Russia. The consequences here will be devastating," Russia state owned news agency TASS reported on Thursday.

Barbin commented directly on the F-16 fighter jets, warning that their delivery "would be seen as a nuclear threat."

"Denmark should not scoff at Russia's repeated warnings that the emergence of F-16s in Ukraine would be seen as a nuclear threat," the ambassador said. "Russia cannot ignore the fact that these aircraft are capable of carrying nuclear weapons. This position was publicly stated by the Russian Foreign Ministry and was also conveyed to NATO countries through diplomatic channels."

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2nd Post: Putin Ally Insists 'Nuclear War Is Inevitable'
Published Updated May 27, 2024 at 9:40 PM EDT
Re: https://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-so...kraine-1904833

Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian propagandist and ally to President Vladimir Putin, insisted that "nuclear war is inevitable" on a recent episode of his television show.

Amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Putin fully launched in February 2022, there have been fears that the conflict could escalate to nuclear war. Earlier this month, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned that while Moscow's nuclear war policy hasn't changed, the situation is fluid.

Meanwhile, Russia's military began nuclear-weapon drills on Tuesday in response to "provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation," according to the country's defense ministry.

"Nuclear war is inevitable either way. Let's compare whose strategic weapons are bigger!" Solovyov said on his television program, according to a clip translated into English and posted on the YouTube channel of Russian Media Monitor, a watchdog group created by journalist Julia Davis "in an effort to combat Russian propaganda," on Saturday.

Solovyov's comments were met with resistance from Andrey Sidorov, Deputy Dean of world politics at Moscow State University.

"We should just accept it. The only promise life keeps is that of death. A man wins when he stops fearing death," the show's host argued. "Listen, they keep challenging, us assuming we're weak. 'Why would you use the nukes? You can't do it!' They watch our program and say, 'See? That's right!' Why then did our parents and grandparents spend insane amounts of money on a nuclear shield?"

Sidorov later chimed in: "We shouldn't escalate like you are proposing." Solovyov then responded: "Oh, really? That is called weakness!"

Newsweek reached out to the Russian government via online form and Ukraine's foreign ministry via email for comment.

Russia's Nuclear Policy:
Re: https://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-so...kraine-1904833

When asked if Russia's nuclear doctrine would be updated to include the possibility of a preventive strike, Ryabkov told reporters on May 9: "The doctrine and basics of state policy in the area of nuclear deterrence explicitly state the possibilities for the first use of nuclear weapons."

He continued: "At the moment, nothing has changed in this regard, but the situation itself is changing. As a result, the way basic documents in this field relate to the needs of maintaining our security is constantly analyzed."

Putin said in March that, while Moscow is prepared for nuclear war, it is not his intention to use the weapons unless there is a threat to the "existence of the Russian state" or "damage to our sovereignty and independence."

Meanwhile, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in 1994 in exchange for its security and sovereignty under an agreement known as the Budapest Memorandum. Russia, Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, Belarus and Kazakhstan signed the agreement.

In an April 2021 article from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)—a military alliance that has denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine—then-Director of Nuclear Policy Jessica Cox said, "In recent years, Russia has increased its reliance on nuclear weapons deployed in Europe, has threatened nuclear use against NATO Allies, and is developing a range of new types of nuclear weapons...to intimidate the Alliance," adding, "NATO does not want an arms race."

Article 5 of NATO's founding document states that "an armed attack against one or more" of its member nations "shall be considered an attack against them all."

Putin, however, said in December 2023 that Moscow has "no interest" in fighting NATO.
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Personal note: Putin knows the handwriting is on the wall and his demise is to
be certain if the Nukes fly! It's no longer the US but NATO is wise to his
threats and they too will respond - regardless of his comments!
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NATO is a lot tougher than he knows - and they too are ready!
Somebody has got to knock this guy off and bring back civility
to the world order and that goes for China and North Korea!
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