Alwaght-The content of the United States’ new nuclear doctrine released on Friday causes deep disappointment in Moscow, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a commentary on Saturday.
"While just having a flick through the document, one can notice that its confrontational charge and anti-Russian focus stare in the face," the commentary says. "We state with regret that the US justifies its policy for a massive buildup of nuclear forces and an alleged increasing role of nuclear weapons in Russia’s doctrines. We are accused of lowering a threshold of nuclear weapon use and of some aggressive strategies."
It has nothing in common with the actual state of affairs, the ministry says. "Certainly, we will be compelled to take into consideration the approaches introduced now by Washington and to take necessary steps in order to ensure own security," the commentary noted.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry pointed out that the eagerness to resort to nuclear weapons declared by the United States in order to discourage Russia’s employment of its nuclear arsenal "means an attempt to cast doubt on Russia’s right to self-defense in repelling any aggression in situations critical for the state’s existence."
Washington’s new stance on nuclear weapons employment causes concern, Russia’s Foreign Ministry noted. "Washington’s de facto ‘unlimited’ approach to the use of nuclear weapons is alarming: they declare a possibility of the employment of nuclear weapons ‘in extreme circumstances’ which authors of the doctrine do not limit to merely military scenarios," the commentary said. "
On Friday, the Pentagon released an updated Nuclear Posture Review, the sweeping review of the United States’ nuclear arms policy.
The Pentagon said that nuclear weapons are likely to be employed in case of attack on the United States "that may not come in the form of nuclear weapons."
