Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
He warned enemies of Russia against testing the Kremlin’s resolve.
The Kremlin does not shy away from reminding the West that it is a nuclear power.
It seems that fresh nuclear threats are being issued by Russian officials and television personalities almost every week, but some lingering questions remain regarding these threats.
The most important one is: What could actually prompt Russia to use nuclear weapons?
Hopefully nothing, but Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergey Ryabkov, has once again reminded the West of what Russia’s nuclear doctrine says.
Stark nuclear threats
On the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Ryabkov emphasized that the country would deploy nuclear weapons if others attempted to enter Russian territory, according to the Russian news agency TASS and The Moscow Times.
The official described this as a hypothetical extreme situation. Even so, any threat to Russia’s territorial integrity could trigger a devastating response. This applies even if the attacker lacks nuclear capabilities.
“As regards us, those hypothetical extreme situations that may trigger the use of these weapons were outlined in detail in Russia’s military doctrine and the fundamentals of Russia’s state policy on nuclear deterrence,” Ryabkov stated.
Cooling hot heads
The diplomat warned adversaries against testing the nation’s resolve. This warning follows earlier comments from May regarding tests of the Sarmat missile system, during which Ryabkov noted that Russia wants to “cool hot heads in the West”, adding that “no [nuclear] umbrellas will save them”.
He elaborated on the exact wording of the state policy during an economic forum in St. Petersburg.
“In a somewhat straightforward interpretation, the signal in these documents boils down to the fact that an encroachment on Russia or its territorial integrity by aggressors, including those who may even possess such weapons, could, in the worst-case scenarios, lead to a response on our part using these [nuclear] assets,” Ryabkov warned.
What about the annexed territories?
Ryabkov’s remarks seem clear-cut at first, but given the situation in Ukraine, some questions remain unanswered.
Russia has annexed several oblasts in Ukraine, claiming them as Russian territory, even though not all of these territories are under full Russian control.
According to Ryabkov’s statement, Ukrainian counteroffensives aimed at retaking territory under Russian control could constitute an encroachment on Russia’s territorial integrity.
Ryabkov did not address the issue of the Ukrainian oblasts in his remarks.
Prepared for battle
The tension is spreading quickly to Russia’s neighbors. On June 3, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin warned that the risk of a direct military clash with the West has reached an extremely high level.
Speaking at a security meeting in Moscow, Khrenin pointed to the deployment of 21,000 NATO troops in Poland and the Baltic states. His government views this buildup as clear preparation for a conflict.
He added that rising Western military spending points toward a major confrontation. According to the official, the alliance is actively practicing how to move forces quickly to its eastern flank.
