Russia retains right to start nuclear war if threatened by NATO: Russian diplomat

Russia has finger on nuclear button.

Belmont Lay | March 25, 2022, 03:00 AM

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Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons if provoked by NATO, the Russian deputy ambassador to the United Nations told Sky News, as reported on March 24.

Russia has nuclear option

Dmitry Polyanskiy, one of Russia's top diplomats in the United States, made this comment and other statements in an interview in New York from inside Russia's mission to the UN, where pictures of Vladimir Putin hung on the walls.

The interview took place a month after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.

via Sky News

Polyanskiy was also speaking just two days after Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, had earlier told CNN International on March 22 that Russia have their finger on the nuclear button if they were faced with an "existential threat".

Sky News reported that when asked if Putin was right to hold the prospect of nuclear war over the rest of the world, Polyanskiy said: "If Russia is provoked by NATO, if Russia is attacked by NATO, why not, we are a nuclear power."

The Russian diplomat added: "I don't think it's the right thing to be saying. But it's not the right thing to threaten Russia, and to try to interfere."

"So when you're dealing with a nuclear power, of course, you have to calculate all the possible outcomes of your behaviour."

Dismissed news of Russia strikes hitting Ukrainian civilians

The deputy ambassador also told Sky News he dismissed the formal declaration by the U.S. government that members of the Russian armed forces are guilty of war crimes in Ukraine.

"I don't think we're committing war crimes in Ukraine," Polyanskiy said, dismissing photos shown to him as evidence of atrocities that have so far been committed against Ukrainian civilians.

"Of course, it's not up to me to assess. I'm not there. You're not there. You're looking at the videos, you're looking at the many of videos which are considered to be fake news."

"You believe one thing, I believe another thing."

Russia likely to have most nuclear weapons

Of the nine countries that possess nuclear weapons, Russia is believed to have the most.

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS), which compiles the list of the world’s nuclear weapons, said Russia has a total inventory of 5,977 nuclear warheads.

This includes stockpiled and retired warheads.

NATO has so far refused to get directly involved in military engagement with Russia, in the off-chance the confrontation could trigger a nuclear war.

The alliance has denied Ukraine's request to enforce a no-fly zone above its airspace.

Russia have yet to take over key cities.

Top photo via Unsplash

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