Russian Strategist Calls on Putin to Toughen Nuclear Policy Against NATO
Sep 12, 2024
Sergei Karaganov urges Russia to take a stronger nuclear stance, suggesting limited nuclear strikes against NATO allies and challenging current policies.
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Sergei Karaganov, an important voice in Russian foreign policy, is pushing for a big change in how Russia uses its nuclear weapons.
In a talk with Kommersant newspaper, Karaganov said that Russia should be clear about its willingness to use nuclear weapons against any country that helps NATO in its fight with Ukraine.
Karaganov thinks that Moscow should be ready to use a small nuclear strike on a NATO country if needed. He believes that doing this wouldn’t necessarily start a full nuclear war.
He also criticized the United States, saying that it’s not telling the truth about the nuclear protection it promises to its allies. Karaganov said that Russia’s main goal should be to make sure all its enemies, now and in the future, know that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if it has to.
This idea comes after Ukraine recently took over a part of Russia’s Kursk region. Russian forces are still trying to take it back. Because of this, Karaganov said Russia should make it clear that it can respond with nuclear weapons to any big attack on its land or any attempt to take its territory.
People in Western countries are paying close attention to what Karaganov says. Even though his ideas are not official government policy, he often shares them in important places, and sometimes they even reach President Vladimir Putin. For more than a year, Karaganov has been leading the call to change Russia’s nuclear policy, which the government now says it will review.
Right now, Russia’s nuclear policy says that it would use nuclear weapons only if another country uses nuclear weapons against Russia or if there is a major attack that threatens the country’s survival. Karaganov thinks this policy is too weak. He believes it doesn’t scare Russia’s enemies enough and makes them think Russia would rarely use its nuclear weapons.
