The information was shared by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov in an interview with TASS.
“We have said everything that needs to be said about the scenario of using nuclear weapons. The president has spoken publicly about this issue. This is also reflected in the updated foundations of Russia’s state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence. Everything shows that this is a real threat,” he said when asked to comment on a Science Times article about the possibility of nuclear war between Russia and the United States.
“We will do everything possible to prevent this catastrophic scenario. However, in such a case, not everything depends on us,” Deputy Minister Sergey Ryabkov pointed out.
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister noted that the US needs to understand that all Russian messages about countless potential scenarios are not propaganda but facts.
On October 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an update to Russia's nuclear doctrine. The basic principle of the doctrine is that the use of nuclear weapons is the last resort to protect the sovereignty of the Russian state. The emergence of new military threats and risks has forced Russia to clarify the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons.
In particular, Russia's updated doctrine expands the range of countries and military alliances subject to nuclear deterrence, as well as the list of military threats. In addition, the document states that Russia will now consider any attack by a non-nuclear state with the support of a nuclear power as a joint attack.
According to Reuters, Russia has not tested nuclear weapons since 1990 - the year before the Soviet Union collapsed.
Last year, President Putin signed a law withdrawing Russia’s ratification of a global treaty banning nuclear weapons testing. He said the move was in line with the United States, which signed but never ratified the treaty.
