Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Putin: Russia Cannot Ignore NATO Nuclear Capability


Sun 26 Feb 2023 | 09:45 PM
Israa Farhan

On Sunday, Russia's President Vladimir Putin indicated in an interview that his country suspended its participation in the New START treaty not only because of US nuclear capabilities but those of other NATO countries.

Putin claimed in excerpts carried by Russian news agencies that Russia faces an existential threat because, in his view, NATO members are seeking his country’s “strategic defeat.”

The president announced Tuesday that Moscow was suspending its participation in the 2010 treaty's nuclear warhead and missile inspections.

In the interview set to be broadcast on state TV channel Russia 1 after the one-year anniversary on Friday of Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine, he said his announcement stemmed from the need to "ensure security and strategic stability" for Russia.

“When all the leading NATO countries have declared their main goal as inflicting a strategic defeat on us ... how can we ignore their nuclear capabilities in these conditions?” Putin asked, according to the excerpts.

Putin argued a year ago that his overarching goal in invading Ukraine was to reduce what he saw as threats to Russia's security.

At times during the conflict, he has cited those alleged threats as justification for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

With Western military aid pouring into the invaded country, the Russian leader and his foreign minister portrayed the war as an actual battle between Russia and not just Ukraine but NATO.

Ukraine's allies have emphasized that they want to avoid becoming direct combatants in the war while preparing Ukraine to defend itself and retake territories occupied by Russia.