Vladimir Putin flew on a modernised Tu-160M strategic missile-carrying bomber
Russian President Vladimir Putin called such allegations “unfounded” and “fake narratives,” designed by the West to draw Russia into negotiations on terms that only benefit the US
Russia does not plan to deploy nuclear weapons in space, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the country’s security council members.
“We have already discussed false allegations that are currently being made by some Western officials about our supposed plans to deploy nuclear weapons in space,” said the Kremlin on Friday, citing the President.
In his annual State of the Nation address on Thursday, Putin called such allegations “unfounded” and “fake narratives,” designed by the West to draw Russia into negotiations on terms that only benefit the US, Xinhua news agency reported.
The statement came after a wave of Western media reports claiming US intelligence data has revealed that Russia is working on the development of a nuclear space weapon.
The US government says there is no indication that the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine…reports Asian Lite News
US says there is no indication that the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine
Russia has already stationed a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted by a media outlet as saying.
Putin made the remarks during his speech at St Petersburg International Economic Forum. He told the forum that they (tactical nuclear weapons) would only be used if Russian territory or state was threatened, the BBC reported.
The US government says there is no indication that the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine.
“We don’t see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after Putin’s comments.
Putin said that transferring the tactical nuclear warheads would be completed by the end of the summer, the British news broadcaster reported.
The Russian President said that the move was about “containment” and to remind anyone “thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on us”.
When asked by the forum’s moderator about the possibility of using those weapons, he replied: “Why should we threaten the whole world? I have already said that the use of extreme measures is possible in case there is a danger to Russian statehood.”
Tactical nuclear weapons are small nuclear warheads and delivery systems intended for use on the battlefield, or for a limited strike. They are designed to destroy enemy targets in a specific area without causing widespread radioactive fallout.
The smallest tactical nuclear weapons can be one kiloton or less (producing the equivalent to a thousand tonnes of the explosive TNT). The largest ones can be as big as 100 kilotons. By comparison, the atomic bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 was 15 kilotons.
Russian President said that the rest of the nuclear weapons should be delivered by the end of the summer, reports Asian Lite News
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that Moscow has sent its first batch of nuclear weapons to Belarus, The Hill reported.
Addressing St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said that the rest of the nuclear weapons should be delivered by the end of the summer. Russia moves forward with the plan as part of the plan to deploy tactical nuclear bombs in the country bordering Ukraine. “This is a deterrence measure [against] all those who think about Russia and its strategic defeat,” he said in response to a question about the use of nuclear weapons in war.
The Russian leader’s comments follow claims from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko this week that his nation received the first part of the “bombs and missiles from Russia,” as per retorted by The Hill.
Lukashenko told Russian and Belarusian state media, “We have missiles and bombs that we have received from Russia,” adding, “The bombs are three times more powerful than those [dropped on] Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” Fox News reported.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that Russia has commenced the delivery of nuclear weapons to Belarus, including some that are apparently three times as powerful as those detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, reported Fox News.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The tactical nuclear warheads are the first Russia has moved since opening its invasion of Ukraine last year. The weapons’ arrival comes one week after Ukrainian forces began a large-scale counteroffensive against Russia. Lukashenko argues the weapons will only serve as a deterrent, as per a Fox News report.
Fox News is an American website based in New York City.
Meanwhile, Finland on April 4 this year became NATO’s newest member upon depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the United States at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy as the “only way forward” in the context of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, according to the statement released by PMO…reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s views on the use of nuclear weapons had an impact on the Russians and could well have averted a global disaster in the context of the Ukraine war, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Bill Burns said, according to PBS.
“I think it’s also been very useful that Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi in India have also raised their concerns about the use of nuclear weapons as well. I think that’s also having an impact on the Russians,” Bill Burns said in an interview with PBS. “I think the saber-rattling is meant to intimidate. We don’t see any clear evidence today of plans to use tactical nuclear weapons,” he added.
CIA Chief Bill Burns remarks come as Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 3 admitted that the conflict is “going to take a while.” He also warned of the “increasing” threat of nuclear war. In his address at the meeting of Russia’s Human Rights Council at the Kremlin, Putin said that Russia will fight by “all available means” at its disposal, according to CNN. Putin said that he considered Moscow’s nuclear arsenal as a ‘deterrent rather than a provocation.’
“As for the idea that Russia wouldn’t use such weapons first under any circumstances, then it means we wouldn’t be able to be the second to use them either – because the possibility to do so in case of an attack on our territory would be very limited,” CNN quoted Putin as saying.
Notably, India has been calling for dialogue and diplomacy since the war began between Russia and Ukraine. In a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 16, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy as the “only way forward” in the context of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, according to the statement released by PMO.
During the telephonic conversation, Putin gave a fundamental assessment of Russia’s line in the Ukrainian direction. The talks between the two leaders come after their face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Samarkand in September.
“At the request of Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin gave fundamental assessments of Russia’s line on the Ukrainian direction,” according to the statement released by Kremlin.
During the meeting in Samarkand, PM Modi had said, “today’s era is not of war.” Meanwhile, Russian President Putin had said, “I know about your position on the Ukraine conflict. I know about your concerns. We want all of this to end as soon as possible.”
“Today’s era is not of war and I have spoken to you about it on the call. Today we will get the opportunity to talk about how we can progress on the path of peace. India and Russia have stayed together with each other for several decades. We spoke several times on the phone about India-Russia bilateral relations and various issues. We should find ways to address the problems of food, fuel security and fertilizers,” PM Modi had said.
Earlier in October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the telephonic conversation, PM Modi underscored that endangering nuclear facilities could have catastrophic consequences on public health and the environment.
“Prime Minister emphasized the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine. He underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and the environment,” according to the press release issued by Prime Minister’s office. (ANI)
Pakistan foreign minister said that its nuclear assets “meet each and every international standard in accordance with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as far as security and safety is concerned”, reports Asian Lite News
The Pakistan government is set to summon US Ambassador Donald Blome for an official demarche over American President Joe Biden’s statement regarding the country’s nuclear capability, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said.
While addressing the news conference, Bilawal said, “We will call their ambassador and issue a demarche, but I don’t think this was an official function […] it wasn’t an address to the parliament or an interview,” according to Dawn
This statement came after US President Biden, at a Democratic congressional campaign committee reception, said that Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”, according to the statement released by the White House.
“And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” the White House quoted Biden as saying.
“صدر جو بائیڈن کے بیان پر امریکی سفیر کو طلب کرکے ڈی مارش کیا جائے گا۔” چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی و وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری @BBhuttoZardari 2/6
The remarks on Pakistan were made while Biden was talking about US foreign policy with regard to China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Biden concluded by saying he considered Pakistan to be the most dangerous country in the world.
“This is a guy (Xi Jinping) who understands what he wants but has an enormous, enormous array of problems. How do we handle that? How do we handle that relative to what’s going on in Russia? And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” said Biden, as quoted in a White House press release of his remarks at the Democratic party event.
Addressing the conference at the Bilawal House in Karachi today, the foreign minister said that Pakistan’s nuclear assets “meet each and every international standard in accordance with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) as far as security and safety is concerned”.
“I am surprised by the remarks of President Biden […] I believe this is exactly the sort of misunderstanding that is created when there is a lack of engagement.”
Bilawal said that Pakistan had embarked on a “journey of engagement” and just marked the 75th anniversary of bilateral engagements with the US, according to Dawn.
U.S. President Joe Biden leaves the White House in Washington, D.C. March 8, 2022. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua/IANS)
“If this was such a concern, I imagine it would’ve been raised in that meeting with me, I believe that we have just started our journey of engagement and we will have many more opportunities to engage with the US and address any concerns and misconceptions they might have to this specific question,” Bilawal said as quoted by Dawn.
Although, Bilawal said that he doesn’t believe it negatively impacts the relations between Pakistan and the US. but still, Biden’s remarks could be seen as a setback to the Shehbaz Sharif government’s bid to improve ties with the US.
Sharif on the defensive
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif came to his country’s defence after US President Joe Biden questioned the precarious state of its nuclear program.
“Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state that is perfectly capable of safeguarding its national interest whilst respecting international law and practices. Our nuclear program is in no way a threat to any country. Like all independent states,” Nawaz Sharif tweeted.
“…Pakistan reserves the right to protect its autonomy, sovereign statehood and territorial integrity,” he added. (ANI)
The President’s remarks were made in the context of the changing geopolitical situation globally.
US President Joe Biden said Pakistan may be “one of the most dangerous nations in the world” as the country has “nuclear weapons without any cohesion”.
He made the remarks while addressing a Democratic congressional campaign committee reception, Dawn news reported.
A transcript of the address, published on the White House’s website on Friday, quoted Biden as saying: “And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion.”
The President’s remarks were made in the context of the changing geopolitical situation globally.
He said the world was changing rapidly and countries were rethinking their alliances.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets US President Joe Biden and his wife at the reception hosted by the US President for the world leaders participating in 77th session of UNGA.
“And the truth of the matter is, I genuinely believe this, that the world is looking to us. Not a joke. Even our enemies are looking to us to figure out how we figure this out, what we do.”
There was a lot at stake, Biden said, emphasising that the US had the capacity to lead the world to a place it had never been before, Dawn reported.
“Did any of you ever think you’d have a Russian leader, since the Cuban Missile Crisis, threatening the use of tactical nuclear weapons that would, could only kill three, four thousand people and be limited to make a point?
“Did anybody think we’d be in a situation where China is trying to figure out its role relative to Russia and relative to India and relative to Pakistan?” he added
Talking about his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the US President termed him as a man who knew what he wanted but had an “enormous” array of problems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.(photo: https://www.instagram.com/zelenskiy_official/)
President Zelensky stressed that action against Russia threats was needed now, as it posed a “risk for the whole planet”, reports Asian Lite News
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Russian officials have started “preparing the society” for the possible use of nuclear weapons, but also added that “they are not ready to do it”.
In an interview with the BBC at the President’s Office in Kiev, Zelensky said on Friday: “They begin to prepare their society. That’s very dangerous.
“They are not ready to do it, to use it. But they begin to communicate. They don’t know whether they’ll use or not use it. I think it’s dangerous to even speak about it.”
“What we see is that Russia’s people in power like life and thus I think the risk of using nuclear weapons is not that definite as some experts say, because they understand that there is no turning back after using it, not only the history of their country, but themselves as personalities.”
During the interview, the President also denied having called for strikes on Russia, claiming that an earlier remark had been “mistranslated”.
“After that translation, they (the Russians) did things their way, the way that’s useful to them, and began to retranslate it in other directions,” he told the BBC
“You must use preventive kicks,” Zelensky said, referring to sanctions, “not attacks”.
He further stressed that action against Russia threats was needed now, as it posed a “risk for the whole planet”.
Moscow, he claimed, had “made a step already” by occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear station which President Vladimir Putin is trying to turn into Russian property.
“The world can stop urgently the actions of Russian occupiers,” Zelensky told the BBC.
“The world can implement the sanction package in such cases and do everything to make them leave the nuclear power plant.”
Zelensky also said that Putin is not afraid of a possible nuclear strike but of his community, and his people.
“Because only those people are capable of replacing him now, to take away his power and give it to someone else,” he explained.
Asked whether Putin could survive in an eventual Ukrainian win in the war, the Ukrainian leader said: “I don’t care.”
In a letter dated August 24 addressed to the US President, 68 members from the House of Representatives and the Senate, also asked Biden to answer critical questions on the downfall of Afghanistan and what his plans are, reports Asian Lite News
Amid the US withdrawal from Afghanistan which will have many geopolitical and strategic consequences, a group of 68 Congress lawmakers asked President Joe Biden to “outline” his plan to “move America forward”, and urged him to make sure that the Taliban do not destabilise Pakistan and acquire nuclear weapons.
In a letter dated August 24 addressed to the US President, 68 members from the House of Representatives and the Senate, also asked Biden to answer critical questions on the downfall of Afghanistan and what his plans are.
Post the fall of Kabul, there has been much talk about how China could seize the moment to fill the vacuum left behind by the US and expand its presence and influence there.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with the delegation led by Abdul Ghani Baradar, head of Afghan Taliban Political Commission. (Photo twitter@MFA_China)
Earlier, a high-profile meeting took place between Taliban leaders and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last month.
Expressing concern about these issues, the US lawmakers asked Biden, “What is your plan to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s growing relationship with the Taliban?
Regarding the situation in Afghanistan that has rapidly metastasized into Taliban rule with reinstated oppression of women and girls, the repression of civil society, the displacement of countless Afghans from their homes, the lawmakers asked, “What is your plan to evacuate Afghan SIVs and other vulnerable Afghans like women, girls, and former Afghan civil service employees from Afghanistan?; Do you have a plan to protect prominent women journalists, scholars, and employees of prominent non-government organizations?; and will you ensure that religious and ethnic minorities, like the Hazaras, are also prioritized for PI/P2 visas within this evacuation sequence?”
File photo taken on Aug. 22, 2021 shows foreign forces entering the Kabul airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Xinhua/IANS)
The lawmakers also asked whether the Biden administration will continue its non-combatant evacuation operation post the Taliban deadline of August 31.
“Will you commit to abandoning the arbitrary August 31 withdrawal deadline and continue non-combatant evacuation operation until all Americans, allies, and at-risk Afghans are processed for evacuation?” read their letter.
The lawmakers also asked Biden to lay out his plan on ensuring that Al Qaeda does not “resurge and regain a foothold in Afghanistan.” “What ‘over the horizon’ operations are you prepared to use to counter this threat?” they asked, noting that the intelligence community has cautioned against al Qaeda and ISIS-K getting full liberty from the Taliban to use Afghanistan as a safe haven to train and equip for future terrorists.
They also enquired about Afghan security forces’ former personnel, equipment, and infrastructure that have now passed into the hands of the Taliban. “What is your plan to ensure that more US and Afghan military equipment does not end up in the hands of the Taliban?; What is your plan to reclaim U.S. military equipment that has already fallen into the hands of the Taliban?” read the letter. (ANI)
