Russian President Vladimir Putin said the threat of nuclear war was rising but insisted that Russia had not “gone mad” and would not use nuclear weapons first, speaking at a televised meeting of his Council for Human Rights on December 7, 2022.
“Why lie”
“Such a threat is growing, why lie,” Putin said. “We didn’t suddenly go crazy, we are aware of what nuclear weapons are.”
Asked for a guarantee that Russia would not strike first, Putin said Russia would not use nuclear weapons first “under no circumstances,” adding that a country that does not strike first will not be able to strike second either. He described Russia’s nuclear arsenal as a deterrent for retaliation and claimed it was more advanced than that of any other nuclear power.
“A lengthy process”
Putin also said the war in Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation,” could be “a lengthy process,” and that there was no need for further mobilisation at present.
Context
Western officials have expressed concern about nuclear rhetoric from Moscow since Russia claimed to annex four Ukrainian regions in September. In November, The New York Times reported, citing US officials, that senior Russian military leaders had discussed when and how Russia might use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine, without Putin taking part. The Kremlin has repeatedly said that Russia would use nuclear weapons only in response to an existential threat.
Sources
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