Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has reiterated a nuclear weapons warning against countries “testing our resolve,” saying Moscow will safeguard its national interest “by any means necessary.”
Newsweek reached out to the Russian government via online form for comment Wednesday morning.
Throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow has warned the West to oppose escalating tensions, using its nuclear arsenal to remind other countries of what Russia is capable of. Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, largely followed by the United States. , Moscow and Washington about 90% of the world’s nuclear warheads.
Putin updated Russia’s nuclear doctrine in November, lowering the threshold for Moscow to use its massive nuclear weapons arsenal. The new doctrine allows a conceivable nuclear reaction through Russia even in the face of a traditional attack through a country subsidized by a nuclear power. In theory, Ukraine would be exposed to the threat of a nuclear attack, since the United States supports kyiv.
Lavrov said on Russian television, according to a Wednesday report by the Russian state news agency Tass: “We do not aim to escalate the risks of nuclear weapon usage as we strongly uphold the principle that there are no winners in a nuclear conflict.”
“However, I would caution against testing our resolve and commitment to safeguarding our legitimate national interests by any means necessary,” he added.
The Foreign Minister criticized the West for continuing to discuss a possible nuclear war.
“We have never initiated discussions about what to do with nuclear weapons and whether it’s possible to use them,” Lavrov said on Russian television. “On the contrary, it was at Russia’s initiative that the Gorbachev-Reagan formula that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed was reinstated first at the level of Putin and Biden and later, at the level of the five nuclear countries that are the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.”
He added: “All other proposals, including concepts for a nuclear war or similar statements, have exclusively originated from Western capitals.”
Lavrov accused multiple member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of making threatening statements about their nuclear stockpiles or the potential use of nuclear weapons.
Admiral Tony Radakin, head of the British army, said in a speech in December: “On the Russian side we have noted savage threats of tactical nuclear use, large-scale nuclear exercises and simulated attacks against NATO countries. “
This is “all designed to coerce us from taking the action required to maintain stability,” Radakin said.
NATO allies envision “the third nuclear era,” Radadin added, after the past era of disarmament and counterproliferation, which followed the initial outbreak of the nuclear arms race in the depths of the Cold War.
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters in November: “We are not surprised by Russia’s updated nuclear doctrine. . . This is the same irresponsible rhetoric that we have noticed before and that we have frankly noticed over the last two years .
“So that’s all we’re going to continue to monitor, but we have no indication that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon on Ukraine. And we don’t see any adjustments that can be made to our policy,” he added. also our own nuclear posture. »
Contacted via Newsweek for comment on Lavrov’s comments, the US Department of Defense said: “The branch has no statements to provide. “
February 24, 2025 will mark the third anniversary of the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which began when Putin announced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kyiv has put up a surprisingly good fight against Moscow with the help of its Western allies. U.S. President Joe Biden has been a close ally to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, with President-elect Donald Trump replacing Biden in January, America’s position in the war may change.
Updated 12/25/24 at 12:51 p. m. p. m. ET: This story has been updated with a response from the U. S. Department of Defense.
Rachel Dobkin is a Newsweek reporter in New York City. Its objective is to inform about politics. Rachel joined Newsweek in October 2023. She graduated from the State University of New York at Oneonta. You can contact Rachel by emailing r. dobkin@newsweek. com. Languages: English.