Russian security official Sergei Shoigu has cautioned that the risk of an armed confrontation involving nuclear powers is increasing amid escalating geopolitical tensions.
In an interview with TASS news agency published on Friday, Shoigu, who serves as the secretary of President Vladimir Putin’s Security Council, stated, “Against the backdrop of increasing conflict and aggravation of geopolitical rivalry in the world, the risks of a violent clash between major states, including with the participation of nuclear powers, are growing.”
Shoigu criticised NATO for increasing its military activities near Russia’s borders, particularly on its eastern flank near Belarus. He accused the alliance of rehearsing offensive and defensive scenarios close to Russian territory. However, NATO has countered by blaming Russia for heightening tensions, especially after Moscow announced in 2023 its plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, a country bordering three NATO members.
Shoigu defended the move, describing it as a preventive measure to counter Western efforts to “destabilise the situation… from within.” He emphasised that Belarus now falls under the protection of Russia’s nuclear arsenal following changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine announced by Putin last year.
Under this doctrine, Russia permits a nuclear response to attacks involving weapons of mass destruction or conventional weapons that pose a critical threat to its sovereignty or territorial integrity.
“The Russian ‘nuclear umbrella’ now ensures the protection of our closest ally in the same framework scenarios in which Russia allows a nuclear response for its own defence, Shoigu said.
“Namely, when repelling an attack using weapons of mass destruction or aggression using conventional weapons that creates a critical threat to sovereignty or territorial integrity.”
The remarks come amid ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, fuelled by the war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022 when Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukrainian territory. Shoigu’s statements underscore the deepening divide between Russia and NATO, with both sides accusing each other of provocations, raising concerns about the potential for further escalation
Melissa Enoch
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