Vladimir Putin and Advisor Warn of Nuclear Escalation
Vladimir Putin and advisor Sergey Karaganov called for strengthened nuclear deterrence to counter Western aggression and warned that a nuclear war in Europe could be won.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and advisor Sergey Karaganov have called for the strengthening of nuclear deterrence to prevent a larger-scale war and counter perceived aggression from Western European elites. Speaking at the Valdai Forum, Putin warned that current global escalation is driven by "arrogance and overconfidence" and stated that Russia would rely on its nuclear competitive advantage if attacked by NATO.
In a separate contribution to Expert magazine, Sergey Karaganov argued that Russia must be prepared to use nuclear weapons effectively and victoriously as a last resort. Karaganov asserted that a nuclear war in Europe could be won because the United States would not risk its own territory for the sake of Europeans.
Karaganov further suggested that Russia would be obliged to launch preemptive strikes if non-nuclear European countries, including Ukraine or Germany, acquired nuclear weapons. These statements collectively signal a Russian strategy of using nuclear intimidation to restrain Western leaders and modernize the state's arsenal.
