“Russia Threatens Preemptive Nuclear Strike on Ukraine If Given Nuclear Weapons: CNBC”

International

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Russia doesn’t play around with nuclear. Even the Kremlin said it would launch a nuclear strike pre-emptive.

This would happen if the West gave Ukraine nuclear weapons first. This was conveyed by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council and former president Dmitry Medvedev on Friday (26/5/2023).

“If the West gives Ukraine nuclear weapons, we will have to carry out a preemptive strike,” Menvedev said, quoted by Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.

“The more destructive the weapons supplied to Kiev, the more likely a nuclear apocalypse scenario is likely,” Medvedev added in comments made to journalists while on a trip to Vietnam.

Meanwhile Russian state media outlet TASS called Medvedev saying the Anglo-Saxons were not fully aware and believed that a nuclear strike would not take place. But he insists it could become a reality.

“It will happen, under certain conditions,” he added.

Meanwhile, the day before, defense officials from Russia and Belarus had taken another step towards the Kremlin’s deployment of tactical nuclear weapons (TNW). The warheads are mobile, in the first deployment of such a bomb outside Russia, since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

“Document was signed explaining the procedure for storing non-strategic nuclear weapons of Russia in special storage facilities on the territory of the Republic of Belarus,” the Belarusian defense ministry said on Telegram.

Plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons, short-range nuclear weapons generally designed for battlefield use, were announced back in March. Russia said Belarus had requested weapons be placed on its territory and construction of the weapons storage facility would be completed by July 1.

Russia has stationed aircraft in Belarus capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Russia says it remains in control of the weapons and any decisions to use them.

The United States (US) and its allies have not previously suggested they would provide nuclear weapons to Ukraine. NATO condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear rhetoric and warned of dire consequences for Russia if such weapons were used.

(sef/sef)