Reducing non-strategic nuclear arsenal could increase risk of nuclear-use scenario involving Washington, Moscow
\n Moscow
\nRussian Ambassador-at-large Andrey Belousov on Sunday accused the United States of viewing Europe as a potential nuclear battlefield.
\nSpeaking in an interview with the Russian RT TV channel, Belousov said the persistence with which Washington is trying to initiate discussions on Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons suggests that the US is seriously considering the possibility of using nuclear weapons in the European theatre of operations.
\n\u201cAnd, essentially, they view Europe as such a potential military theatre,\u201d he said.
\nBelousov argued that by urging Russia to engage in a dialogue on non-strategic nuclear arsenal, the US is trying to divert international attention from the risks posed by American nuclear weapons deployed in Europe and Washington\u2019s broader missile and nuclear programs.
\nThe official said obtaining information about Russia\u2019s non-strategic nuclear weapons through greater transparency measures, or reducing or eliminating the arsenal, could increase the likelihood of a nuclear-use scenario involving the US and its European allies.
\n\u201cI hope that Europe will recognise the danger of Washington\u2019s purely operational-military approach to the territory of its allies,\u201d he said.
\nAccording to Belousov, the deployment of US nuclear weapons in European NATO countries and NATO\u2019s \u201cnuclear sharing\u201d arrangements have long been a concern for Moscow.
\nThe expansion of such arrangements, including the involvement of additional NATO members in exercises related to the potential use of nuclear weapons, was increasing risks to Russia\u2019s security, he said.
\nBelousov said Russia had reduced its non-strategic nuclear arsenal by four times in the early 1990s and moved the remaining weapons to centralised storage facilities, saying Moscow had expected reciprocal steps from Washington.
\nThe diplomat argued that subsequent US moves had not fundamentally changed the military-political situation in Europe.
\nHe also said the collapse of arms-control and nuclear-disarmament agreements, combined with US plans to develop a multilayered missile-defence system under the \u201cGolden Dome\u201d program and modernise its nuclear forces, had significantly worsened the strategic environment.
\nBelousov said Russia was seeking to initiate an international discussion on what it considers the destabilising nature of NATO\u2019s nuclear-sharing arrangements and to encourage the US to withdraw its nuclear weapons from Europe.
\nAt the same time, Moscow remained open to resuming a strategic dialogue with Washington, although prospects for mutually acceptable agreements currently appeared limited, he stressed.
\nBelousov emphasised that any such negotiations should be based on equal and indivisible security and address the broader range of factors affecting strategic stability rather than focusing on individual issues.
\nBelousov also said Russia would respond to developments in the strategic-arms sphere through a combination of political, diplomatic, and military-technical measures aimed at maintaining strategic balance and addressing potential additional threats to its security.
\nBelousov\u2019s comments come as the US continues to maintain nuclear weapons in Europe as part of NATO\u2019s nuclear deterrence arrangements.
\nThe Pentagon has said Washington remains committed to nuclear deterrence while urging European NATO members to assume greater responsibility for the alliance\u2019s conventional defence.
\nUS President Donald Trump said this week that he was not concerned about the possibility of Russia attacking NATO territory, amid growing European concerns over a potential Russian military challenge to the alliance.
\nMeanwhile, NATO has criticised Russia\u2019s expansion and modernisation of its non-strategic nuclear capabilities, while Moscow views its nuclear arsenal as the only means capable of deterring an attack from NATO, which significantly outnumbers its forces.
\nThe issue of non-strategic, or tactical, nuclear weapons has long been a contentious subject in US-Russian arms-control discussions. The two countries maintain significant tactical nuclear arsenals, while the US also deploys nuclear weapons in Europe under NATO arrangements.
\nBelousov\u2019s remarks come amid broader tensions over European security and the future of arms control following the expiration of the New START treaty in February, which had been the last remaining treaty limiting US and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Reducing non-strategic nuclear arsenal could increase risk of nuclear-use scenario involving Washington, Moscow Moscow Russian Ambassador-at-large Andrey Belousov on Sunday accused the United States of viewing Europe as a potential nuclear battlefield. Speaking in an interview with the Russian RT TV channel, Belousov said the persistence with which Washington is trying to initiate discussions on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":564831,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-564807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n