Putin Orders Tactical Nuclear Weapon Drills

(ConservativeSense.com) – Russian President Vladimir Putin will test tactical nuclear weapons in response to what his Defense Ministry described as provocation and threats from the West. A statement from the ministry said drills will commence “in the near future” and will include rehearsals for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons for the first time.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Western “threats” to Russia had reached unprecedented levels, just days after French President Emmanuel Macron repeated his contentious remarks that he does not rule out the prospect of sending Western troops to fight in Ukraine.

Mr. Macron said his clear strategic objective is a Ukraine victory, insisting there is no alternative if Europe is to maintain peace and stability. “If Russia wins in Ukraine, there will be no security in Europe,” he said.

Furthermore, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron simultaneously declared that Ukraine could use British-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia. Cameron said Ukraine is legitimately defending its country from an illegal invasion and must take the steps it needs to take.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made similar remarks in February, noting for the first time that he considers it legitimate for Ukrainian forces to strike external Russian targets. European leaders had previously cautioned against such a move due to fears of escalating the conflict. Stoltenberg said he respected this position and that each ally should decide what conditions it placed on military aid.

Russia’s ominous warning of potential escalation to nuclear war is not new, and Moscow has previously raised the specter on several occasions. Since the conflict began in 2022, the Kremlin has suspended its cooperation with an arms reduction treaty with the US, and when Ukraine enjoyed territory gains in late 2022, Putin once again raised the prospect of nuclear war, saying the possibility had increased.

Dmitry Medvedev has also previously warned that Russia could respond with a nuclear strike if Western-supplied long-range missiles are employed to strike targets inside Russian borders.