Ministry of Defense: Russia will conduct exercises with non-strategic nuclear weapons

This order was given by President Vladimir Putin.

The maneuvers will be carried out “in response to provocative statements and threats by individual Western officials against the Russian Federation” in order to maintain readiness of personnel and equipment. In recent months, discussions have continued about the potential dispatch of Western troops to Ukraine, which began after French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out such a development. Most other Western countries did not support this idea. By words Macron, there are two conditions for sending a contingent: a breakthrough by Russian troops and receiving a request from Ukraine. Paris could host ground operation against the Russian army, he admitted.

Kremlin named the conditions voiced by Macron are “a very dangerous trend.” “The statement is very important and very dangerous. France, represented by the head of state, continues to constantly talk about the possibility of its direct involvement on the ground in the conflict around Ukraine,” says Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Among such “dangerous statements” he included words British Foreign Minister David Cameron on Ukraine’s right to use British weapons to attack Russian territory.

Ukrainian authorities emphasizedthat there is a need for Western armies, there is only a need for weapons, but if the time comes to send a contingent, Kyiv will grateful.

Authorities of the USA and other Western countries criticize Moscow for addressing the topic of nuclear weapons. “This rhetoric, as we have seen before, is irresponsible and inappropriate for a nuclear power. And it is incompatible with the way any nuclear power should publicly talk about the use of such weapons,” said the head of the US State Department press service, Matthew Miller, indicating that Washington will not change its approach. «Big Seven» warnedthat any use of nuclear weapons could lead to serious consequences.

Kremlin puts forward counter-accusations. Peskov noted that all the reasons for the possible use of nuclear weapons by Moscow are spelled out in the nuclear doctrine. “If something threatens our existence, our country, then nuclear weapons. Apart from this, it is absolutely impossible; it is irresponsible to talk about this,” concluded the presidential representative.

source: RBC