Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the country’s nuclear arsenals as a deterrent factor in the Ukrainian conflict but demurred when challenged to make a pledge that Moscow would not be the first to use them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the country’s nuclear arsenals as a deterrent factor in the Ukrainian conflict but demurred when challenged to make a pledge that Moscow would not be the first to use them.
Asked by a member of the presidential Human Rights Council to commit Russia to rule out a first strike, he responded that such an obligation might prevent Russia from tapping its atomic arsenal even if came under a nuclear attack.
“If it doesn’t use it first under any circumstances, it means that it won’t be the second to use it either, because the possibility of using it in case of a nuclear strike on our territory will be sharply limited,” Mr Putin said.
