'Russia would use nuclear weapons if...': Moscow warns West over Ukraine invasion
Categories: FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Russia would only use nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukraine conflict if it were facing an "existential threat," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during an interaction with CNN International on Tuesday (March 22).Peskov said as quoted by the media outlet, "We have a concept of domestic security, and it's public. You can read all the reasons for nuclear arms to be used. So if it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be used in accordance with our concept." Western allies fear that Russia might use weapons of mass destruction during its invasion of Ukraine. In the past, Putin hinted at using nuclear weapons against nations that he saw as a threat to Russia.In February, Putin said in a televised statement: "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." On February 28, Putin had also ordered the Minister of Defense and the chief of the General Staff to place the Russian Army Deterrence Force on "combat alert".Russia has already admitted that it used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine. Russia's defence ministry said that they have used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine on March 17 to destroy a weapons storage site in the country's west.Asked about Peskov's statement, and Russia's nuclear stance, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby called Moscow's rhetoric on the potential use of nuclear weapons "dangerous." "It's not the way a responsible nuclear power should act," he told reporters.That said, Kirby stressed that Pentagon officials "haven't seen anything that would lead us to conclude that we need to change our strategic deterrent posture.""We monitor this as best we can every day," he added.