In recent developments, Russia has once again threatened the use of nuclear weapons in relation to the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, warned that if NATO allies allow Ukraine to defeat Russia, it could result in a nuclear war.
He stated, “The loss of a nuclear power in a conventional war can provoke the beginning of a nuclear war“.
This statement was made at the same time that Western leaders met with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where they discussed plans to provide Ukraine with weapons, ammunition, and financial aid. It is important to note that it is ultimately up to Russian President Vladimir Putin to decide on the use of nuclear weapons.
In November, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement dismissing nuclear conflict as an option, however, they also stated that they may hypothetically restore to the use of nuclear weapons in response to an aggression involving the use of weapons of mass destruction or an aggression with the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is in jeopardy.
The Kremlin’s stance on the use of nuclear weapons remains uncertain, and the international community continues to monitor the situation closely.