After the invasion of Ukraine in February, Western leaders have expressed concern over the level of nuclear saber-rattling by senior Russian officials, including President Putin.
How does Moscow respond to allegations that it uses such rhetoric and threats?
I requested a response to worldwide criticism from one of Russia’s most influential officials, Sergei Naryshkin, head of the SVR Foreign Intelligence Service.
There has been an abundance of Russian nuclear hyperbole, notwithstanding his denial.
Mr. Naryshkin pointed back toward the West.
“Will you state unequivocally that Russia will not deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine or take other aggressive acts, such as detonating a dirty bomb or destroying a dam?” I inquired of Mr. Naryshkin.
The Russian spy head did not explicitly address the question. Sergei Naryshkin answered, “Of course, we are very concerned about Western rhetoric on the use of nuclear weapons.”
“Yesterday, the Russian minister of defense spoke by phone with his counterparts from Turkey, the United States, and France. He informed them about the Ukrainian government’s likely intentions to use a so-called “dirty nuclear bomb.” “Mr. Naryshkin carried on.
“However, there is no evidence to support this allegation,” I remarked.
The British, American and French governments released a united statement regarding the Russian government’s claims on Sunday. They dismissed what was referred to as “Russia’s bogus charges” against Kyiv, adding, “The international community would see through any attempt to use this allegation as a pretext for escalation.” Further, we reject any excuse for Russian aggression.”
Sergei Naryshkin and I spoke at the inauguration of an exhibit at the Russian Army Museum.
An exhibition that sends you back to a time when the world was on the brink of nuclear Armageddon is a disturbing experience.
It’s been 60 years since the Cuban Missile Crisis. There is a large photograph of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and American president John F. Kennedy hanging on the wall. There are photographs of the Soviet missiles that Moscow deployed in Cuba and which the Kennedy White House insisted the Kremlin remove.
What lessons does Russia under Vladimir Putin draw from the Cuban Missile Crisis?
Sergei Naryshkin told me that the lesson of the Cuban Missile Crisis is that political leaders must have the inner strength to negotiate agreements to solve global challenges.
True, Kennedy and Khrushchev compromised to avert a possibly catastrophic conflict. Khrushchev evacuated nuclear missiles from Cuba; Kennedy pledged to do the same for Turkey.
Six decades later, however, Vladimir Putin, the current leader of Russia, shows no hint of compromise. There is renewed anxiety about the possibility of a nuclear war.
Nevertheless, the war in Ukraine differs significantly from the Cuban Missile Crisis.
In February, the head of the Kremlin attacked a sovereign neighboring country; the conflict has been going on for eight months. Despite significant setbacks on the battlefield, President Putin still appears intent on securing a win over Ukraine and against the West.
