In an Oct. 10 article on the UN Charter, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that “the series of joint drills held recently by the United States and its NATO allies in Europe, that included scenarios of the use of nuclear weapons against Russia, was unprecedented,” TASS reported. Lavrov accused “irresponsible politicians” of being obsessed with their own impunity amid what he said was a total lack of the basic sense of self-preservation as they declared the task of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, TASS added.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov also addressed the danger of a nuclear confrontation of superpowers, in comments to the press at the Russian Duma. Since the U.S. never ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), which Russia did ratify years ago, Russia now considers that “renouncing the ratification … is necessary for leveling the playing field with the United States,” TASS reported Ryabkov saying. “We expect that the message will reach Washington.… Therefore, we are resorting to ‘strong medicine’ now,” he explained.”
President Putin had suggested this policy was being considered in his Valdai comments a week ago.
