Russia rebuffs Blinken's ‘nuclear saber-rattling’ accusations
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Moscow’s envoy to the UN nonproliferation review conference Alexander Trofimov affirms that Russia's nuclear doctrine is "explicitly clear".
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Delegates from Russia attend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York (REUTERS)
Moscow’s envoy to the UN nonproliferation review conference Alexander Trofimov said, on Tuesday, that “Russia's nuclear doctrine is very clear, and the current conflict in Ukraine does not meet any of its criteria”.
The top Russian diplomat also dismissed a series of claims made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as "utterly unfounded" speculation, possibly meant to fuel "anti-Russian hysteria."
“We would also like to strongly reject the utterly unfounded, detached from reality and unacceptable speculations that Russia allegedly threatens to use nuclear weapons, particularly in Ukraine,” Trofimov added.
Russia's nuclear doctrine is "explicitly clear," envisioning their use only in attacks involving weapons of mass destruction or conventional aggression endangering the state's existence, he stressed.
The Russian diplomat slammed "unscrupulous interpretations" of Moscow's decision to activate its nuclear deterrent earlier this year, citing "confrontational actions and provocative statements by representatives of Western nuclear powers about the possibility of NATO interference in military operations in Ukraine against Russia."
It is worth noting that Blinken has recently accused Russia of “reckless, dangerous nuclear saber-rattling,” against “those supporting Ukraine’s self-defense.”
Blinken also accused Russia of violating the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, which guaranteed Ukraine's independence in exchange for the surrender of Soviet nuclear weapons on its territory.
“Russia has strictly fulfilled its obligations” under the memorandum, “including in recent months,” while Kiev’s statements about obtaining nuclear weapons “call into question the viability” of the 1994 document. Ukraine has also violated the memo for “many years,” in particular regarding provisions against “aggressive nationalism and chauvinism,” Trofimov added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the top Russian diplomat made it clear that Blinken's interpretation of Russian leadership statements as a threat to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine is "unscrupulous and does not stand up to any scrutiny."
He added that the threats were aimed at NATO in order to deter the West from direct aggression against Russia in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, noting that the West has already "moved towards a fierce hybrid confrontation and dangerously balances on the edge of an open military clash."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that there could never be any winners in a nuclear war and it should never be "unleashed".
The comment was issued in a letter to participants of a conference on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) in which Putin insisted that Russia remained faithful to the treaty's "letter and spirit."
"Our obligations under bilateral agreements with the US on the reduction and limitation of relevant weapons have also been fulfilled," he said.
"We are convinced that all NPT-compliant countries should have the right of access to civilian nuclear power without any additional terms whatsoever. We are ready to share with the partners our experience in the field of nuclear energy," he added in his greeting to the tenth conference of the NTP treaty.
Ties between Russia and the West have been eroding since Putin launched Russia's special operation in Ukraine on February 24.
On Monday, the US, the UK, and France rebuked Russia for the "irresponsible and dangerous" talk about possibly deploying nuclear weapons.
During the NPT conference, Putin expressed the certainty that all member countries are fully ready to strictly comply with their commitments and make a tangible contribution to promote non-proliferation and world peace, security, and stability.
Read more: Lavrov on Nuclear War: Better ask Biden
