Quotes
We consider ourselves justified in using our weapons against military targets in those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities. In the event of an escalation of aggressive actions, we will respond decisively and accordingly,
he continued
We will do this openly and publicly, for humanitarian reasons, without fearing any opposition from the enemy, who will also receive this information,
Putin saidWhy no fear? Because, as of today, there is no means to counter such weapons,
Putin saidOf course, when selecting targets for systems like Oreshnik on Ukrainian territory, as a necessary and retaliatory measure, we will, in advance, urge civilians and citizens of friendly nations present in those areas to evacuate,
Putin saidHe [Putin] is playing yet again a nuclear gamble with the recently-updated nuclear doctrine of Russia, he enlisted North Korean soldiers to come to European soil, so these are all clear signs of will to escalate, not the will to find ways towards peace,
the European Commission spokesman stressed
It's obvious that such attacks would mark yet another clear escalation from the side of Putin. And over the last period of time, we haven't been actually lacking signs of further escalation of the conflict by Putin,
he said.jpg)
A new escalation is taking place. That's a very irresponsible position that the outgoing US administration is taking. They are continuing to add fuel to the fire of this conflict, in every possible way preventing any momentum towards its conclusion, while using Ukraine as a tool in their hands in their war with Russia,
Peskov saidI wouldn't want to say anything additional on this topic, which is the prerogative of our military and the defence ministry".
At the same time, the Kremlin spokesperson deferred comment on Ukraine's use of Western-supplied Storm Shadow long-range missiles to the Russian military, statingMerchant vessels don’t normally go and cut undersea cables for the fun of it,
Braw said
So, it would be a serious gamble. But I cannot, however, rule out that the Kremlin is prepared to take its chances. Especially if Moscow feels that it can count on a weak response. We don’t know if it can,
he said on the Bluesky social media platformThe problem for the Kremlin, of course, is whether the threat of nuclear retaliation to Ukraine striking targets inside Russia with Western conventional weapons is a credible threat,
said Kristensen
Russia's willingness to climb the nuclear ladder to a great extent comes down to the thinking and the predilections of one man, Vladimir Putin,
said EpiskoposThe Russian perception that this is a step by the Biden administration to tie Trump's hands when he gets into office,
said Episkopos from the Quincy InstituteI'm somewhat astounded about the details and very broad scenarios described in the document,
said Hans Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).It goes far beyond what we have seen in documents from other nuclear-armed states,
he told NewsweekThe West would have to believe that Putin would actually order the use of nuclear weapons in retaliation for a very limited conventional attack that does not in any way threaten Russia's survival or its ability to operate its nuclear forces,
he saidRussia is pushing forward and maybe the calculation is that Russia wants to keep its momentum,
Podvig said
From the Russian perspective, this use is equivalent to an attack by them on Russian territory,
he told AFPSince there’s little Russia can do in response in practical terms, it turns to threatening language on paper to undermine the resolve of the outgoing Biden administration. That’s understandable — direct and indirect nuclear threats have been so effective in the past in deterring Biden from backing Ukraine fully, that it would be disappointing for Moscow if this latest move didn’t make a difference,
Giles told NBC News
Russia’s move will tie in with the campaign by its backers in the West to paint the easing of restrictions on ATACMS strikes into Russia as a dangerous escalation,
said Keir Giles, senior consulting fellow with the London-based think-tank Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia program