(Dan Tri) – Russian Deputy Foreign Minister warned that NATO nuclear facilities, if located on Polish territory, would become Moscow’s military targets.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov (Photo: Interfax).
`The expansion of NATO’s joint nuclear missions – regardless of national territory – is absolutely a destabilizing move. In fact, it is a threat,` Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei
Mr. Ryabkov said that NATO countries’ approach to joint nuclear missions near Russia’s borders exacerbates security threats.
`I haven’t even talked about the permanent deployment (of nuclear weapons), which is also being hotly discussed by hotheads in Warsaw. All politicians are enthusiastically discussing such plans
Mr Ryabkov described the ongoing discussion about the deployment of NATO nuclear facilities in Poland as an `ongoing story`.
The above statement was made after Poland said it was ready to receive nuclear weapons if NATO decided to deploy them.
`If our allies decide to deploy nuclear weapons on our territory as part of nuclear sharing, to strengthen NATO’s Eastern flank, we are ready to do this,` the President said.
According to Mr. Duda, the topic of allowing the US to deploy nuclear weapons was discussed in recent negotiations between the US and Poland.
`As a NATO member state, Poland has certain obligations. In this respect, we are simply implementing a common policy,` Mr. Duda declared.
According to Mr. Duda, the reason Poland affirmed its stance according to the above statement is because `Russia is increasingly militarizing the Kaliningrad region bordering Poland and Lithuania.`
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, Moscow’s neighbor and key ally, last year.
At that time, the Kremlin owner said that Britain’s decision to provide depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine was the reason that forced Moscow to do this.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in January that Moscow views the nuclear arsenals of the US, UK and France as `the only nuclear weapons aimed at the Russian Federation` because NATO has declared Russia the `main threat`.
The Kremlin has repeatedly declared that nuclear war is never allowed to happen, and affirmed that Moscow has never used its atomic arsenal for threatening purposes.