Russia finally answers major nuclear weapons question

Russia has finally answered a major question about President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear weapons plans as invasion of Ukraine continues.

Russia has finally answered a major question about whether President Vladimir Putin plans on using nuclear weapons, as the invasion of Ukraine continues.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told PBS that Moscow would only consider using such weapons if Russia’s “existence” was threatened.

“No one is thinking about using … even about the idea of using nuclear weapons,” he said, adding that the conflict in Ukraine had “nothing to do with” a threat to Russia’s existence.

Mr Peskov’s comments came after the interviewer asked him to clarify a recent statement from former President Dmitry Medvedev, who revealed Russia reserved the right to use nuclear weapons if it faces an existential threat – even if the other side has not employed the use of such weapons.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has answered a major question about Russia’s nuclear plans. Picture: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

While Mr Peskov aimed to ease concerns around a possible nuclear threat from Russia, he also said there was “no doubt” that Russia would achieve all its objectives in Ukraine.

“We have no doubt that all the objectives of our special military operation in Ukraine will be completed. We have no doubt about that,” he said.

He also alluded to Mr Putin’s warning to other countries when he first ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine on February 24.

“If you remember the statement of the president when he ordered the operation on the 24th of February, there was a part of his statement warning different states not to interfere in the affairs between Ukraine and Russia during this operation,” Mr Peskov told PBS.

“He was very strict in his warning, and he was quite tough on that. And I think that everyone understands what he meant.”

Questions have been swirling over Russia’s nuclear plans, with fears peaking last week when several pro-Kremlin mouthpieces warned Moscow wouldn’t hesitate to launch nuclear weapons against the West if NATO forces enter Ukraine.

The disturbing warnings were made by commentators on President Vladimir Putin’s highly controlled state TV on Wednesday.

“If there are any sane people left in NATO, they will not approve [a peacekeeping] operation [in Ukraine],” military expert Colonel Yury Knutov said on state-owned Channel 1.

“Why? Because [a collective] NATO decision will mean a de facto declaration of war on Russia. To win this war, whether we like it or not, we will have to use tactical nuclear weapons in the theatre of operations.”

Colonel Knutov said this would entail the “use of powerful strategic nuclear weapons” which he said “means universal nuclear war”.

This comes as Russia has vowed to scale down fighting around Kyiv and another major city, following talks between the two nations in Istanbul.

Following the talks in Turkey, Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia said there were “sufficient” conditions for Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin to meet in a bid to end Europe’s worst conflict in decades.

A rescuer clears the rubble of a warehouse in the town of Brovary, north of Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, after being destroyed by a Russian shelling. Picture: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP

Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin said there had been progress in talks on “the neutrality and non-nuclear status of Ukraine”.

“A decision has been made to radically, by several times reduce the military activity” around the capital Kyiv and the city of Chernigiv, he said.

Russia’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said there had been a “meaningful discussion” at the talks.

However, the pledge was quickly met with scepticism from both Ukraine and Western nations.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said the “positive” signals from the recent discussions “do not drown out the explosions or Russian shells”.

The Pentagon also cast doubts on Moscow’s promises, saying the country had merely repositioned a “small number” of forces near Kyiv, but could be preparing a “major offensive” elsewhere.

The “vast majority” of Russian forces around Kyiv remained in place, said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.

“We’ve only seen a small number begin to move away from Kyiv, mostly to the north.

“Russia has failed in its objective of capturing Kyiv,” he added, but “it does not mean that the threat to Kyiv is over”.

Ukraine’s military also warned the withdrawal of Russian troops around Kyiv and Chernigiv “is probably a rotation of individual units and aims to mislead”.

Western leaders have made it clear that Russia’s promise of reduced military action did not mean harsh sanctions on Moscow would be lifted.

“We’ll see if they follow through on what they’re suggesting,” US President Joe Biden said after speaking with the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, who vowed no let-up in sanctions.

It has been almost five weeks since Mr Putin ordered Russian forces to invade Ukraine on February 24.

Since then thousands of people have been killed. Even more have ben injured and millions have been displaced.