World should never allow Ukraine to acquire nukes: Russia intel chief
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Russia's intelligence chief calls for cooperation to prohibit Ukraine from acquiring nuclear weapons.
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Smoke rises after shelling on the outskirts of Kiev, Ukraine February 27, 2022 (Reuters)
Russia sees it as extremely worrying that the West is following the rhetoric it is currently following regarding the possibility of using nuclear weapons, Sergey Naryshkin, the director of the Russian intelligence service (SVR) told Russian media on Monday.
"I find the Western rhetoric regarding the possibility of using nuclear weapons extremely worrisome. It is impermissible," said Naryshkin, the chairman of the Russian Historical Society.
Naryshkin underlined that the world should not allow Ukraine, under any circumstances, to have nuclear weapons.
"That the current Kiev regime wishes to possess nuclear weapons humanity was able to see on several occasions, starting from the day when President [of Ukraine Volodymyr] Zelensky spoke at a security conference in Munich," the intelligence chief stressed.
"His ambitions to possess nuclear weapons were clear already then. The world should not let this happen," he added.
Asked if Russia's rhetoric left room for the possibility of using nuclear weapons, Naryshkin answered by saying: "No, absolutely not."
Reports about Kiev preparing to use a dirty bomb in Ukraine to blame Russia for using nuclear weapons have been circulating for about a month now.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Sunday expressed his concerns about Ukraine's provocations with his French, British, and Turkish counterparts, saying that Kiev might resort to using a so-called dirty bomb, a conventional bomb that contains radioactive material.
Sources familiar with the matter said Kiev was planning on carrying out provocations on its own land using what is called the "dirty bomb", with the aim being to accuse Russia of using weapons of mass destruction, which would lead to a smear campaign against Moscow.
Konstantin Vorontsov, Deputy Director at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for Arms Nonproliferation and Control, previously confirmed that Russia did not and does not threaten Kiev with using nuclear arms, while Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov highlighted that Ukraine was generating risks tied to using nuclear weapons of mass destruction which is clear from Zelensky's use of "nuclear first strike" indicating NATO's hit against Russia.
Zelensky even underlined that NATO must carry out a preemptive strike against Russia instead of waiting for Russia's nuclear attacks.
In light of that, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a speech to the Russian public that those who attempt to blackmail his country with nuclear weapons will find it coming back to bite them.
