Will Russia use nuclear weapons in their invasion of Ukraine? Many have asked the question as reports of the Russian military advanced has stalled or pushed back surfaces. What is the next move for Russian President Vladimir Putin who sits atop the world’s largest nuclear arsenal?
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s chief spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not admit or deny the possibility. He did admit that Russia has not yet achieved its military objective in Ukraine. When asked about the use of Nuclear weapons on “existential threats”, his answer is unclear. “If it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be,” he said.
In February, President Putin already gave a hint that he might resort to using it. “No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.”
He also said, “officials in leading NATO countries have allowed themselves to make aggressive comments about our country, therefore I hereby order the Minister of Defense and the chief of the General Staff to place the Russian Army Deterrence Force on combat alert.”
Dmitry Peskov said that the “special military operation is going on strictly in accordance with the plans and the purposes that were established beforehand.”
He also echoed Russia’s demands saying that the “main goals of the operation” are to “get rid of the military potential of Ukraine,” to ensure Ukraine is a “neutral country,” to get rid of “nationalist battalions,” for Ukraine to accept that Crimea — annexed by Russia in 2014 — is part of Russia and to accept that the breakaway statelets of Luhansk and Donetsk “are already independent states.”