Russian Foreign Minister: "No Use of Nuclear Weapons at This Stage"

Black smoke rising from the Azovstal steel plant on the outskirts of Mariupol, a southern port city in Ukraine.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] The Russian Foreign Minister has stated that, at the current stage, Russia will not use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, said in an interview with an Indian media outlet on the 18th (local time) that at this stage, Russia plans to use only conventional weapons, not nuclear weapons, in Ukraine, according to Bloomberg and others.

Minister Lavrov said that Russia's military operation in Ukraine has recently entered a new phase, and the goal in this new stage is to liberate the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

He also said that the decision for Russia to receive payment for natural gas in rubles is a measure that does not contradict existing contracts, and was made due to Western sanctions freezing Russian assets.

Bloomberg analyzed that although Minister Lavrov is not in a position responsible for military decisions, his remarks are the most definitive answers given so far by a senior Russian official regarding nuclear weapons.

Western intelligence officials have warned that if Russia continues to struggle in this war, it might consider the use of strategic nuclear weapons.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.