Russia Finds Western Nuclear Weapons Rhetoric Worrisome: Intelligence Chief
Russia finds extremely worrisome the Western rhetoric regarding the possibility of using nuclear weapons, the director of Russia’s foreign intelligence service SVR, Sergey Naryshkin, told the media on Monday.
"I find the Western rhetoric regarding the possibility of using nuclear weapons extremely worrisome. It is impermissible," said Naryshkin, the chairman of the Russian Historical Society, TASS reported.
He also said that the world should not permit a situation where Kiev would have nuclear weapons.
"That (Ukraine) wishes to possess nuclear weapons humanity was able to see on several occasions, starting from the day when President (of Ukraine Vladimir) Zelensky spoke at a security conference in Munich. His ambitions to possess nuclear weapons were clear already then. The world should not let this happen," Naryshkin said.
While answering the question about Russian rhetoric "left room (for a possibility of) using nuclear weapons," Naryshkin said: "No, absolutely not."
The chief of Russia’s foreign intelligence also recalled yesterday's conversations between Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and his counterparts in Turkey, the United States and France.
Shoigu conveyed to his colleagues Russia’s concerns about possible provocations by Ukraine involving a so-called dirty bomb. On Friday and Sunday, Shoigu talked on the phone to the Pentagon’s chief Lloyd Austin.