The Russian Foreign Ministry published a statement that appeared to be an assurance to the West amid escalating tensions between the two sides due to the Ukraine war and growing fears of nuclear weapon use. The statement elaborated on what it called "the fundamentals of nuclear war prevention policy," as reported by our correspondent in Moscow.
In its statement, the Foreign Ministry emphasized its commitment to ensuring global strategic stability and underscored what it described as the fundamentals of its nuclear policy: the use of nuclear weapons would only be for defensive purposes in response to a similar attack that threatens the security of the Russian state.
Russia urged nuclear-armed countries to stop encouraging provocations involving weapons of mass destruction and stressed the need to prevent any direct confrontation between nuclear states.
On the other hand, the United States quickly confirmed its doubts regarding Moscow's nuclear intentions. The White House stated that repeated discussions by Russian officials about the potential use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine have made U.S. officials "increasingly concerned" that this possibility could become a reality.
John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, explained, "We have become increasingly concerned about those possibilities as these months have passed." Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war on February 24, the issue of nuclear weapons has repeatedly come to the forefront, raising fears of a third world war.
This concern began three days after the war started when Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the increased readiness of nuclear deterrent forces. However, discussions about nuclear weapons have intensified significantly since last September, following the losses incurred by the Russian military in Ukraine, with Moscow pledging to use nuclear weapons in defense of its territory against NATO intervention, which it claims is leading the battle in Ukraine.
At the end of October, Moscow warned Washington about the possibility of deploying the tactical nuclear bomb "B61" in NATO bases in Europe, following nuclear exercises conducted by both sides in recent weeks.
