The US has begun to aggressively prepare for the risk of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, US media said.
CNN quoted senior US officials as saying on March 9 that US President Joe Biden's administration is particularly concerned that Russia could use tactical or battlefield nuclear weapons. The US government made such an assessment based on many different signs and sensitive intelligence data analysis

Washington wants to come up with the best response plan if Russia actually uses nuclear weapons in the conflict in Ukraine. Therefore, during the period from late summer to fall of 2022, the US National Security Council convened a series of meetings to come up with contingency plans.

According to US assessments, one of the events that could cause Russia to use nuclear weapons is Ukraine regaining control of the city of Kherson, an area that Russia announced to annex after a controversial referendum. controversy in September 2022.

At that time, Russia accused Ukraine of using a "dirty bomb", an accusation that Washington said Moscow made up as a pretext for a nuclear attack.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made a series of calls to defense officials in the US, UK, France and Turkey in October 2022, informing them that the Kremlin was "concerned about these actions". Ukraine's potential provocation involves the use of dirty bombs".

The US has rejected Russia's accusations, but also raised questions about Moscow's true purpose in making such accusations, including the assertion that Russia is preparing for a nuclear attack.

However, CNN's source said: "The US has never discovered intelligence suggesting that Russia is taking steps to mobilize its nuclear forces to carry out such an attack." Even so, US officials remain uncertain whether Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons.

Unlike strategic nuclear weapons, which are capable of destroying entire cities, tactical or battlefield nuclear weapons are more compact, can be secretly moved and used from established conventional systems. deployed on the battlefield in Ukraine.

The United States also works closely with allies to develop contingency plans for a Russian nuclear attack and to send deterrent messages to Russia about the consequences of such an attack.

Russia has repeatedly stated its nuclear doctrine. The Kremlin said Russia only uses nuclear weapons when the country's existence is threatened.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times newspaper cited leaked presentations for Russian naval officers allegedly prepared between 2008 and 2014, stating that the threshold for using short-range tactical nuclear weapons by Moscow may be lower than what Western defense experts have estimated

Russia warns of an attack scenario if the US sends nuclear weapons to Northern Europe

Russia said that if the US crosses the "red line" and sends nuclear weapons to Northern Europe, Moscow will take measures to respond. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
The Russian Foreign Ministry warned on March 6 that if the US deploys nuclear weapons in Northern Europe, Moscow will consider the locations storing these weapons as "legitimate targets". She also warned that the deployment of nuclear weapons in countries near Russia's borders risks causing a military confrontation between Russia and NATO.

"It doesn't take a military strategist to realize that such facilities would pose a direct threat and would of course be included in the list of legitimate targets in a military conflict scenario." directly between Russia and NATO," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a press conference.

Her comments came days after Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that his country's membership in NATO could give Helsinki "a real nuclear deterrent" using names American fire.

While discussing the topic last week, Mr. Stubb added that the Finnish government would have to decide whether it needed to change the law to allow the placement of allied nuclear weapons on its territory. . The US has not commented on Mr. Stubb's statement and Washington has not spoken about the topic of deploying nuclear weapons in Finland. Ms. Zakharova said that if American nuclear weapons were introduced into Finland or another country in Northern Europe, "the security of the countries that own these weapons will not be stronger, but on the contrary, will be damaged." "

She also issued a warning to the Finnish public about Mr. Stubb's statements. "To what extent the Finnish people are aware of the risks they will face will be a big question," Ms. Zakharova said. "Such a decision would really entail major changes in the security situation. of that country and related issues"

Finland decided to apply to join NATO due to national security concerns after Russia launched a special military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022. Russia has repeatedly warned that this decision by Finland is wrong because in reality the two countries do not have any significant conflicts.

Finland becomes a member of NATO in April 2023, which doubles NATO's shared border with Russia. The admission of Finland ended seven decades of maintaining the Nordic country's neutral policy

Recently, Finland also started building a border fence with Russia. Last year, Finland announced plans to sign a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the US, allowing Washington to station soldiers and stockpile weapons and ammunition in Finland. The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the country will open 15 areas nationwide, allowing the US military to access and use.

Meanwhile, Moscow announced that it would respond to NATO's expansion of presence to the east, closer to Russia's border. Moscow views NATO's expansion of presence in the region as a threat to national security.