Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokescritter Dmitry “dig my porn-stache” Peskov appeared on the little-watched CNN show hosted by Christiane Amanpour. The big message that Peskov seemed to try to get across to Amanpour’s audience was that Russia is perfectly willing to use nukes to get its way.
BREAKING: Putin’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov says Russia would use nuclear weapons if faced with “existential” threat.
“…If it is an existential threat, a threat for our country, then it can be used in accordance with our concept.”pic.twitter.com/X5Z6XBlSnq
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 22, 2022
CNN interviewed Peskov, who denied excluding the possibility of using nuclear weapons.
“We have a concept of domestic security and, well, it’s public, you can read all the reasons for nuclear arms to be used,” he said. “If it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be used.”
According to a 2020 statement on Russia’s nuclear policy, signed by Putin, the country would use nuclear weapons in two scenarios: in response to the use of nuclear weapons or other unconventional arms against Moscow or its allies — or in response to “aggression” using conventional arms “when the very existence of the state is put under threat,” per the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
CNN provides more detail.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s chief spokesman has conceded that Russia has yet to achieve any of its military goals in Ukraine and refused to deny that Moscow could resort to the use of nuclear weapons.
In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday, Dmitry Peskov repeatedly refused to rule out that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons against what Moscow saw as an “existential threat.” When asked under what conditions Putin would use Russia’s nuclear capability, Peskov replied, “if it is an existential threat for our country, then it can be.”
Putin previously suggested that Russia could use nuclear weapons to attack nations he perceived as being a danger to Russia. Back in February, the Russian President 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.”
He then said in a televised meeting with Russian defense officials that “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.”
What is all this really mean?
Russia is not like the United States which has a policy against nuclear weapons being used against non-nuclear countries. In fact, Russia has a strategic theory called escalate-to-deescalate.
However, this does not necessarily mean Russia would use these weapons. Deterrence appears robust at the strategic level. However, at the tactical levels, things are quite different. The 2018 US Nuclear Posture Review ascribed to Russia the view that “the threat of nuclear escalation or even first use of nuclear weapons would serve to de-escalate a conflict on terms favorable to Russia.” Russian military theorists have certainly discussed this idea of “escalating to de-escalate,” though whether it is a part of Russian doctrine is disputed among students of Russian strategy. “Escalating to de-escalate” in a war with NATO would run the serious risk of escalation rather than de-escalation. However, small-scale tactical nuclear weapon use might prove tempting in a war against a non-nuclear enemy. This is especially true if things are not working out as planned. It is possible to feel compelled to push your way into a corner.
In other words, if the war in Ukraine goes pear-shaped, and I think it is safe to say we are getting close to that point, it would not be outside Russian strategic thinking to pop a smallish nuke somewhere in Ukraine and say to NATO, “stop supplying Ukraine right now or I’ll do the same to you.”
It seems that we are currently in the middle of such a strategy. Remember Putin’s speech announcing he was invading Ukraine.
For the United States and its allies, it is a policy of containing Russia, with obvious geopolitical dividends. For our country, it is a matter of life and death, a matter of our historical future as a nation. This is not an exaggeration; this is a fact. It is not only a very real threat to our interests but to the very existence of our state and to its sovereignty. It is the red line which we have spoken about on numerous occasions. They have crossed it.
…
I would now like to say something very important for those who may be tempted to interfere in these developments from the outside. 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. No matter how the events unfold, we are ready. All the necessary decisions in this regard have been taken. I hope that my words will be heard.
Here he ties NATO membership by countries bordering Russia as a threat to Russia’s aspirations and therefore to Russia’s very existence. You should also remember that Poland, Latvia and Lithuania fall under this same category. He also labels interfering with Russia’s operations in Ukraine as another red line that will cause Russia to “respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history.”
We also don’t know what is meant by “the very existence of the state is put under threat.” Does this refer to a victory parade through Red Square? It could refer to Russia being taken away from its rightful position in the sun. Or does it refer to the political, and maybe corporal, existence of Vladimir Putin, who strikes me as very much a “lL‘état, c’est moi” Are you a type of guy?
Russia is considered a nuclear country. We must assume that some nuclear weapons still function, despite the fact that they are unlikely to survive 30 years of Russian quality maintenance. It is certain that this fact won’t change. It is important to remember that Russia is threatening to use nukes, and it is this fact that we should not submissively urinate whenever he uses them. Putin’s public statements about his plans for the future cannot be used to make us submit. This will lead to the dissolution of all NATO members bordering Russia. He will continue to use this tactic until he has found his way.
We know that Putin will not use any humanitarian or moral argument to stop him from launching a nuclear attack on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities. We have an obligation, however, to make it clear in public that we will retaliate against him if he uses a nuclear weapon to target a Russian city. We will pursue anyone involved in the use of it, including Putin and the person who replaced the tire on the car that transported the warhead.
Personally, I think Putin and his nuke threats remind me of Cleavon Leslie in Blazing Saddles. These threats only work if you buy into the Putin-constructed framework.
About Post Author
