MOSCOW: The Kremlin has sharply criticized Western discussions on potentially arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons, calling such talk “absolutely irresponsible.” Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, made the remarks in response to a report by The New York Times citing anonymous Western officials suggesting the possibility of President Joe Biden providing Ukraine with nuclear arms before the end of his term.
The report, published last week, mentioned that certain unnamed officials proposed the idea of the U.S. returning nuclear weapons to Ukraine, which were removed after the Soviet Union’s collapse. These weapons, they claimed, could serve as an “instant and enormous deterrent” against Russian aggression. However, the article also noted the complexities and serious implications of such a move.
Peskov condemned these proposals, saying they were the product of individuals who “do not understand reality” and lack any sense of responsibility. He further emphasized that these statements were made anonymously and lacked credibility. When asked about the potential for nuclear escalation, Peskov urged the West to heed President Putin’s statements and review Russia’s updated nuclear doctrine, which lowers the threshold for nuclear weapons use.
In a separate development, Russia announced the expulsion of a British diplomat, Edward Wilkes, accusing him of espionage. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that Wilkes, a second secretary at the British Embassy in Moscow, had been involved in intelligence activities that jeopardized Russian security. The British government has yet to respond officially to the expulsion, though the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the British ambassador for a formal protest.
