EU reacts to Putin's inclusion of non-nuclear countries in nuclear doctrine
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's fresh threats to use nuclear weapons on non-nuclear countries are yet another example of his irresponsible behaviour, and they will not influence the European Union's decision to continue to support Ukraine.
Asked how the EU would react to another lowering of the threshold for the use of Russian nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states, which Putin declared on 25 September, Peter Stano, spokesman of the European Union, stated that Putin "is playing gamble with his nuclear arms".
"This is just a continuation of a very irresponsible and unacceptable behaviour on the side of Putin, showing basically to the whole world – especially during the United Nations General Assembly," he stressed.
The speaker noted that the head of the Kremlin "doesn’t shy away from playing nuclear gamble over and over again".
"We, of course, strongly reject these threats and the position of the European Union remains unchanged," Stano emphasised.
He also noted that the EU is trying to convey this position to international partners, drawing their attention to how insane and irresponsible Putin’s behaviour is, especially considering he represents a permanent member of the UN Security Council, whose main task and duty is to maintain peace in the world.
"This is fitting the pattern of his behaviour so far, unveiling his true face during a very important, high-level international event ongoing right now in New York," Stano concluded.
On 25 September, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin made changes to Russia's nuclear deterrence doctrine.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted he is sceptical of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's threats, which come amid discussions about allowing Ukraine to launch long-range missiles deep into Russia.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is convinced that Ukraine’s allies should increase their support for Kyiv despite Russian leader Vladimir Putin's threats, as he does nothing beyond talking.