Is Russia encouraging provocations with weapons of mass destruction?
2 November 2022. Russia said on Wednesday that avoiding a nuclear clash between the world’s nuclear powers was its first priority, but accused the West of “encouraging provocations with weapons of mass destruction”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has appeared on several occasions to threaten a nuclear strike in connection with the war in Ukraine, and Moscow has repeatedly said its military doctrine permits the use of nuclear weapons if Russia’s territorial integrity is under threat.
In September 2022, Putin said he was “not bluffing” when he stated that Russia was prepared to use “all available means” to defend its territory. He also said the United States had created a “precedent” at the end of the Second World War when it dropped two atomic bombs on Japan.
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