Confident Putin warns that Europe is 'defenseless'

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has engaged in nuclear maneuvers, making a series of not-so-subtle insinuations that trying to defeat a nuclear power like Russia could have consequences disastrous for those who attempt it.

Today, President Putin asserted that Russia would not need to use nuclear weapons to achieve victory in Ukraine.

He was being interviewed during a panel discussion at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum: the annual event often described as the “Davos of Russia.”

Rare are the occasions when Mr. Putin appears conciliatory towards the person asking him the questions.

But when the one asking the questions is Sergei Karaganov, it would be hard not to. Mr. Karaganov is a hawkish expert on Russian foreign policy. Last year he called for a preemptive nuclear strike. Today he proposed brandishing a “nuclear gun” at the temple of the West over Ukraine.

President Putin was not so extreme in his language.

The Kremlin leader said he did not rule out changing Russia's nuclear doctrine, the document that defines the conditions under which Russia would use nuclear weapons.

“This doctrine is a living tool and we carefully observe what is happening in the world around us and do not rule out making changes to this doctrine. This is also linked to nuclear weapons testing.”

And he issued a warning to European countries that support Ukraine: Russia has “much more support.” [tactical nuclear weapons] only on the European continent, even if the United States brings theirs.”

“Europe has no developed countries [early warning system],” he added. “In this sense, they are more or less defenseless.”

Tactical nuclear weapons are smaller warheads designed to destroy targets without widespread radioactive fallout.

It’s been a surreal week in St. Petersburg. On the one hand, a huge international economic forum was held, sending the message that Russia is ready to cooperate and that, despite everything, business continues as if nothing had happened.

But it is clear that things are not going as usual. Russia is waging a war in Ukraine, a war now in its third year; as a result, Russia is the most heavily sanctioned country in the world.

And right now, tensions are soaring between Russia and the West.

Earlier this week, during a meeting with the heads of international news agencies in St. Petersburg, President Putin suggested that Russia could provide other countries with advanced, long-range conventional weapons to strike Western targets .

This was his response to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-supplied weapons.

He repeated the idea today.

“We are not yet supplying these weapons, but we reserve the right to do so to states or legal entities that are under certain pressure, including military pressure, from countries that supply weapons to Ukraine and encourage their use on the Russian territory.”

There were no details. No name.

So, in which regions of the world could Russia deploy its missiles?

“Wherever we think it’s needed, we’ll definitely place them.” As President Putin has made clear, we will investigate this issue,” Vladimir Soloviev, a leading presenter on Russian state television, told me.

“If you try to harm us, you must be sure that we have enough opportunities and chances to harm you.”

“In the West, some will say that we have already heard this sabre-rattling,” I replied, “and that it’s a bluff. »

“It’s always a bluff. Until that is no longer the case,” replies Mr. Soloviev. “You can keep thinking that Russia is bluffing and that one day there will be no Britain left to laugh at. Never try to push the Russian Bear and think, “Oh, it’s a kitten, we can play with it.”