Russia's Newest Stance On Nuclear War Is A 180-Turn From Previous Threats: 'No Nuclear War Should Be Started'
Aug. 1 2022, Published 1:38 p.m. ET
As the world teeters on the brink of nuclear war, Russia’s leader said that there could be no winners in a nuclear winter, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a letter to countries participating in a nuclear non-proliferation treaty conference, President Vladimir Putin said no nuclear war should be started, according to Reuters.
"We proceed from the fact that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed, and we stand for equal and indivisible security for all members of the world community," Putin noted, according to the report.
Putin’s latest comments are in stark contrast to statements made by Russian TV and the country’s former president. Other Russian officials have discussed the possibility of using the destructive weapons as part of its war in Ukraine or against Western nations for their continued support of Ukraine.
In previous statements, Putin has also referred to using nuclear weapons against other nations.
He said that those that hinder Russia will face consequences, according to Reuters.
Putin’s latest comments also come as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is a mere understanding away from “nuclear annihilation,” according to the Associated Press.
“All this at a time when the risks of proliferation are growing and guardrails to prevent escalation are weakening,” he said, according to the AP. “And when crises -- with nuclear undertones -- are festering from the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
The Secretary-General called for countries to reaffirm their positions against the use of nuclear weapons, according to the report.
He also called for nations to reduce their nuclear arsenals.
“Future generations are counting on your commitment to step back from the abyss,” Guterres said, according to the report. “This is our moment to meet this fundamental test and lift the cloud of nuclear annihilation once and for all.”