International community slams Russia for escalation of nuclear rhetoric

By Global Watch and AFP | 2024-11-20

Countries around the world have criticized Russia's recent escalation of rhetoric that has threatened the use of nuclear weapons.

The White House condemned Russia's "irresponsible rhetoric" on November 19. after President Vladimir Putin eased Moscow's rules for nuclear strikes.

Putin earlier in the day signed a decree that broadened the scope of when Moscow can use nuclear weapons, outlining that Russia will consider using nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear state if they are supported by nuclear powers.

"Aggression by a non-nuclear state with the participation ... of a nuclear state is considered as a joint attack," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"This is more of the same irresponsible rhetoric from Russia, which we have seen for the past two years," a spokesperson for the US National Security Council told AFP.

The spokesperson said that "we were not surprised by Russia's announcement that it would update its nuclear doctrine" and that Moscow had been "signaling its intent" to do so for several weeks.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also criticized "irresponsible rhetoric coming from Russia."

Moscow's loosening of rules on nuclear weapon use as a "necessary response" to the move "is not going to deter our support for Ukraine," said Starmer. "We need to ensure that Ukraine has what is needed for as long as it's needed to win this war against Putin."

European Union (EU) top diplomat Josep Borrell accused Russia of issuing "completely irresponsible" nuclear threats following the decree.

"It is not the first time that Putin plays the nuclear gamble," the outgoing foreign policy chief told reporters following defense minister talks in Brussels on the 1,000th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Russia has subscribed to the principle that a nuclear war cannot be won, and so must never be fought," he said, warning that "any call for nuclear warfare is an irresponsibility."

Continuing EU and NATO support for Ukraine

The EU talks -- dominated by the need to ramp up support for Ukraine's fight -- came as Kyiv confirmed it had fired US-supplied long-range missiles into Russian territory, in what Russia said marked "a new phase" in the war.

Borrell had pressed member states ahead of time to align with Washington in allowing Ukraine to strike inside Russia using donated missiles -- something France appears to be considering.

Addressing reporters afterwards, Borrell gave no indication of a shift on the sensitive issue.

But he said EU states had agreed "by an overwhelming majority" that "the fate of Ukraine will determine the destiny of the European Union."

"If Putin could be successful in Ukraine, we will pay a very high bill, much more expensive than any kind of military support that we could provide today," he said.

A "big majority" of EU member states had shown "their determination to continue supporting Ukraine," said Borrell.

"Europeans have to do more and quicker in order to increase their defense capacity, not just to support Ukraine, but for our own security," said the EU top diplomat, who hands over next month to designated successor Kaja Kallas.

Ministers were joined by NATO chief Mark Rutte, who warned that Putin must not be allowed to "get his way" in Ukraine and reiterated his call for Europe to "ramp up the defense industry."