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ladimir Putin has announced that Russia will ramp up its nuclear arsenal, the latest of several such warnings his administration has issued since the beginning of the war with Ukraine.
The Russian president met with graduates of the country’s military universities in the Kremlin on Thursday. His address to the students covered matters relating to the country’s military capabilities, potential cooperation with NATO, and was characteristic of the angle Russia has taken toward the West for the past two years.
The news was first reported by Ria Novosti, a Russian state-owned news agency.
Putin’s speech began by congratulating the attendees on completing their studies, who Defense Minister Andrey Belousov hailed as ready to “serve the fatherland faithfully and truly.”
The Russian president also used the opportunity to make a statement on Russian national security. Standing before the lectern, Putin said: “We plan to further develop the nuclear triad as a guarantee of strategic deterrence and maintaining the balance of power in the world.”
A nuclear triad refers to a three-part military capability consisting of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistics missiles, and bomber aircraft capable of carrying nuclear bombs and missiles.
Russia is one of four nations confirmed to be in possession of a nuclear triad, alongside the U.S., China, and India. Israel is generally thought to be in possession of a triad, though its taciturn nuclear program makes this hard for experts to verify.In May, the U.S. announced an upgrade to its own nuclear triad, with the Air Force releasing photos of the B-21 stealth bomber undergoing test flights.
Earlier in June, the Russian president issued a warning about the potential use of nuclear weapons, suggesting that threats of their employment should “not be taken lightly” by the West.
Framing such weapons as for defensive purposes only, he said that Russia will be forced to use “all means at our disposal” if the actions of another state “threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
A similar warning was issued in May by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Following the announced delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by Belgium, Lavrov told an RIA Novosti interviewer that this constituted a “signal action” by NATO “in the nuclear sphere.”
However, in his Thursday remarks, Putin also said that Russia was willing to engage in discussions regarding the creation of a Eurasian security system with various associations, including NATO.
Putin’s comments follow an online broadside by Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, over the social media app Telegram on Thursday morning.
Medvedev’s post criticized America’s continuous efforts to arm Ukraine, and shunned hopes of cooperation between Russia and the U.S. regarding a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty limiting nuclear proliferation.