President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that developing Russia’s nuclear triad was an “absolute priority” as he outlined the country’s position on its weapons program, according to reports.
On the occasion of Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day, the Russian leader spoke about strengthening the country’s nuclear capabilities before presenting state awards to officers involved in the invasion of Ukraine, the Moscow times reported.
In his speech, Putin referred to Russia’s nuclear triad, the country’s three-tier system for delivering nuclear weapons designed to ensure a credible second-strike capability.
Putin described its development as “an absolute priority” and said it “guarantees Russia’s security and ensures effective strategic deterrence and a balance of world forces.”
President Vladimir Putin declares the development of Russia’s nuclear triad an “absolute priority” on Defender of the Fatherland Day, emphasizing strategic deterrence capabilities. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Putin also stressed that his country would continue to strengthen its army and navy, “taking into account developments in the international situation, based on the combat experience gained” amid the war between Russia and Ukraine.
He added that Russia would also “significantly” increase the capabilities of other branches of the armed forces, increasing their combat readiness, mobility and ability to operate in all conditions, even the most challenging.
“And of course we will accelerate the development of advanced systems for the armed forces,” he added.
Putin’s comments came after Russia suspended its participation in the New START Treaty on February 5, 2023, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Moscow and Washington.
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The treaty limited the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems that each country could have.
Russian officials have said they will continue to take a “responsible” approach to managing their strategic nuclear arsenal and will respect previously established limits.
Putin’s announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the Russian leader had effectively launched “World War III” with his invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
“I believe Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to conquer and how he can stop him… Putin will not stop at Ukraine,” Zelensky told the newspaper. BBC in an interview on February 23.
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Smoke rises over the Kiev skyline after a Russian attack, Monday, July 8, 2024. Russian forces launched multiple ballistic and cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets on Monday, the Ukrainian air force said, with explosions felt and heard in the capital Kiev. (AP Photo/ Evgeniy Maloletka)
Zelenskyy described the war as part of Putin’s broader effort to impose a “different way of life” on the world.
“Stopping Putin today and preventing him from occupying Ukraine is a victory for the whole world,” he said.
However, when asked about the possibility of ceding the disputed Donbas region to Moscow as part of a peace deal, he warned that Russia would likely rebuild its military strength in “no more than a few years” and launch a new invasion.
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“Where would he go now? We don’t know, but that he would want to continue [the war] is a fact,” Zelenskyy said.
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