The Kremlin’s most prominent spokesman has rejected calls for Russia to rule-out nuclear war– advising that President Vladimir Putin can utilize nuclear weapons if he perceives an “existential risk.” to the Russian Federation.
Dmitry Peskov was continuously questioned on CNN Tuesday by Christiana Amanpour regarding Russia’s nuclear arsenal being placed on high alert, which Amanpour told him had left “the world afraid.”
“President Putin intends to make the world listen to and understand our concerns,” the Kremlin spokesman said when asked if Putin “would use” the nuclear option.
“We have a concept of domestic security and it’s public, you can read all the reasons for nuclear arms to be used,” he said when pressed again.
“So if it is an existential threat for our country, then [the nuclear arsenal] can be used in accordance with our concept,” he warned.
President Putin has raised the threat of using nuclear weapons – and his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to rule out their use, in an interview with me tonight. pic.twitter.com/uxQqncLGYN
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) March 22, 2022
While Putin’s chief spokesman did not specifically specify on what would be considered an “existential threat,” he repeated misguided claims that Ukraine was trying to develop its own nuclear weapons stockpile, after willingly surrendering the third largest arsenal in 1991.
“We have been trying to convey our concerns to the world — to Europe, to the United States — for a couple of decades, but no one would listen to us,” the Peskov complained.
“And before it is too late, it was a decision to start — to launch a special operation, military operation, to get rid of anti-Russia that was created next to our borders,” he said.
To Amanpour’s clear bafflement, (She audibly replies incredulously “What?!?”) Peskov insisted that modern Ukraine “was formed by the Western countries” just to be “anti-Russia.”
He also went on to claim the Kremlin had “very strong reason to believe and very strong evidence” that the US has “been developing biolabs programs” in Ukraine.
Cars and buildings on fire after shelling, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout
“This is reality that we’re facing,” he said.
Mere days into the illegal invasion last month, Putin placed Russia’s sizable nuclear arsenal on “enhanced combat duty” over its unsubstantiated claims of NATO threats.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later said, “The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility.”
During the CNN interview, Peskov dismissed rumors that the “special military operation” (Read as: ‘illegal invasion’) in Ukraine was suffering embarrassing setbacks and delays.
“It is going on strictly in accordance with the plans and with purposes that were established beforehand,” he said.
He also denied Russia had targeted civilians, despite overwhelming eyewitness evidence from multiple independent sources and Ukraine’s claim that at least 121 children were among the dead.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a cabinet meeting via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow. Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo A map showing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We will hurt Nazis, not ordinary people and civil people. It is forbidden to target civil people for our military,” Peskov insisted, disputing reports to the contrary as “propaganda.” Given the recent broadcasts from RT and the massive crackdown on all independent media in Russia… he ought to know…