Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that there would be no winners if a nuclear war broke out and that it should not be taken into account.
“Russia has consistently followed the Russian letter and spirit. [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]Putin wrote, according to state media.
Putin added that the Russian government “has also fully fulfilled its obligations under its bilateral agreement with the United States on reductions and restrictions on related armaments,” adding that “there may be no winners in a nuclear war. They must never be released,” the government said. ”
The Russian leader addressed participants at a conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty about five months after the Ukrainian-Russian war began. Days after the launch of the February 24th invasion, President Putin ordered the country’s nuclear arsenals to be put on alert, sparking global concern about the danger of nuclear or World War III.
Around the time of the invasion, which Russia called a special military operation, Putin delivered a speech, referring to the country’s vast nuclear arsenal and warning NATO and the United States not to interfere.
“Anyone who tries to interfere with us should know that Russia will respond immediately,” he said. “And it will lead you to outcomes that you have never encountered in your history.”
negotiation
Russian military doctrine (pdf) authorizes the use of nuclear weapons if there is an existential threat to the Russian state, according to the Congressional Research Service. Russia and the United States are believed to each have thousands of nuclear weapons.
Ahead of Russia’s statement to the Non-Proliferation Treaty Conference, President Joe Biden called on Russia to join negotiations for a new arms control agreement to replace the New START Treaty, which is set to expire in 2026.
“Negotiations require partners who are willing to act with good faith,” Biden said. statement announced by the White House. “In this context, Russia must demonstrate its readiness to resume nuclear arms control work with the United States.”
Also on Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry sources questioned the seriousness of Biden’s remarks calling for talks on a nuclear arms control framework to replace the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty, which expires in 2026.
In April, Russia said it had conducted the first test launch of a new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile capable of launching a nuclear strike against the United States, and said it planned to deploy the weapon by the fall of 2022.
Reuters contributed to this report.
follow
Jack Phillips is a New York-based breaking news reporter for the Epoch Times.