Putin to Address Nuclear Deterrence Amid Rising Tensions with Ukraine, Reports Reuters

By Dmitry Antonov and Guy Faulconbridge

MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin is set to lead a meeting of Russia’s Security Council on nuclear deterrence as Moscow considers its response to Ukraine’s requests for permission to use long-range Western missiles to target deep within Russian territory.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that the meeting, which includes key figures from Putin’s administration, is significant. "The president will deliver a speech," Peskov stated, adding that the details of the discussions would remain classified.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has marked one of the most serious standoffs between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, a period when the two superpowers neared the brink of nuclear war.

Putin, who oversees Russia’s nuclear capabilities, is contemplating actions to take if the United States and its European allies allow Ukraine to launch missiles provided by the West into Russian territory. On September 12, Putin remarked that granting such permission would make the West a direct combatant against Russia and would compel Moscow to make "appropriate decisions."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been urging international allies to permit Ukraine to employ long-range missiles, such as U.S. ATACMS and British Storm Shadows, to diminish Russia’s assault capabilities.

As the largest nuclear power globally, Russia possesses a significant portion of the world’s nuclear arsenal, with both Russia and the United States accounting for 88% of nuclear warheads.

PEACE THROUGH FORCE?

During a recent address to the United Nations Security Council, Zelenskiy asserted that the conflict cannot be resolved through dialogue alone and that Russia must be compelled towards peace. In response, Peskov criticized this stance as a "fatal mistake" that would have dire repercussions for Kyiv, insisting that it is impossible to force Russia into peace.

Currently, Russia has gained control over nearly a fifth of Ukraine, and in August, it made substantial advances in eastern Ukraine, leading Western leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, to declare that it is crucial for the West to prevent a Russian victory.

NATO plans are in place for the possible evacuation of wounded troops from the front lines, potentially using hospital trains, given that air evacuations might be impractical.

As the situation intensifies and Ukraine loses critical territories in the east, Russian officials warn that the conflict has entered a particularly perilous stage. Putin has portrayed the West as an aggressive force, claiming that the U.S. is risking global warfare over Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia is reviewing its nuclear doctrine, which outlines the scenarios under which it may resort to nuclear weaponry. The breakdown of the post-Soviet international consensus has led to the erosion of Cold War arms control agreements that aimed to mitigate the dangers of an arms race.

The Kremlin has indicated that discussions regarding a successor to the U.S.-Russia New START Treaty, set to expire in 2026, must consider the nuclear capabilities of European nations, including Britain and France. "We have not yet received a response from the Americans on this matter, but certainly an agreement is necessary, and negotiations should commence as soon as possible," Peskov stated regarding the treaty’s future.