The former Russian president and vice chairman of the Security Council, Dmitri Medvedev says in a statement that the country was prepared to use nuclear weapons against the United States (U.S) and Europe (EU) if its existence was threatened.
This is the latest instance of nuclear saber-rattling as Russia faces fierce resistance in Ukraine.
Medvedev made the remarks to Russia’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency in excerpts from an interview published on Saturday, the same day that Mr. Biden was meeting in Warsaw with the Polish president.
The statement did not go beyond Russia’s previously published doctrine, but it comes as NATO is doubling its troops in Eastern Europe and as President Biden said during a visit to Poland that the United States treated its duty to defend its NATO allies as “a sacred obligation.”
According to Medvedev in the article, “No one wants war, especially given that nuclear war would be a threat to the existence of human civilization.
“All our people know that the targets of nuclear weapons of NATO countries are facilities on the territory of our country, and our warheads are aimed at targets located in Europe and the United States of America.
“But that is life. Therefore, one should always think about this and pursue a responsible policy.”
He also noted that, as laid out in Russia’s established policy on nuclear deterrence, the country could use nuclear weapons in response to an attack on Russia or its allies with conventional weapons if “the very existence of the country is threatened.”
Russia’s defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu also mentioned Russia’s nuclear weapons in remarks released on Saturday.
“Maintaining the military readiness of the strategic nuclear forces” was among the priorities in the defense ministry’s approach to procurement, along with long-distance precision weaponry and aviation equipment.
NYT
