Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast Sunday that Russia has no choice but to take into account NATO's nuclear capabilities, in remarks justifying Russia's recent suspension of its participation in the New START treaty.
As he has done repeatedly during the Ukraine war, Putin claimed that Russia faces an existential threat because, in his view, NATO members are seeking the country’s “strategic defeat.” He said on Russian state TV that the suspension of New START stemmed from the need to “ensure security, strategic stability” for Russia.
Putin’s overarching goal in invading Ukraine a year ago was to reduce what he perceived as threats to Russia’s security, and at times he has used that as justification for threats to use nuclear weapons in the conflict. In the interview with Russia 1 television broadcast Sunday - two days after the one-year anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine - Putin said that while NATO countries are not party to the treaty, they became part of the “discussions on the issue,” which Moscow doesn’t object to, especially since it can’t ignore NATO’s nuclear capabilities.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Putin says Russia has to take NATO 'nuclear potential' into account'All the leading NATO countries have declared their main goal to inflict a strategic defeat on us,' Putin told state television channel Rossiya-1.
Read more »
Russian warlord's fiery feud with Putin's generals threatens to bury Russia's ambitionsYevgeny Prigozhin has increasingly put himself at odds with the Russian military establishment, openly criticizing failures in Ukraine to boost his own profile.
Read more »
China, Russia deepen ties as Biden rallies NATO's 'frontline' over UkraineChina pledged a deeper partnership with Russia on Wednesday as U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed security assurances for NATO's 'frontline' eastern members, highlighting global tensions as the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches.
Read more »
Russian tank destroyed in Ukraine is put on display outside Russian embassy in GermanyActivists in Berlin, Germany have parked a Russian tank destroyed in Ukraine outside its embassy there on the one-year anniversary of the conflict.
Read more »
Russian politician mocks Putin's speech about Ukraine warMikhail Abdalkin brought a Russian idiom to life this week when he hung cooked noodles from his ear while watching the Russian leader's speech.
Read more »
Is Putin's private army in conflict with the Russian army?The recent rift between the Wagner Group and the Russian army has raised several questions about the future of the Ukraine conflict. Here's what regional experts say on the matter.
Read more »