Unusual criticism in Russia: newspaper attacks Putin's environment because of nuclear threats
Created: 04/10/2022 04:48
By: Tim Vincent Dicke
Putin and his confidant Medvedev openly hint at the use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war.
A Russian newspaper is now making surprising criticism.
Moscow – The nuclear threats from Vladimir Putin's environment towards the West became increasingly clear by Friday.
Those around the Kremlin spoke out loud about what had long been taboo in Russia as well: the President and his entourage more or less openly threatened Ukraine, Europe and the United States with the use of nuclear weapons.
There has been criticism of this course from a surprising quarter – even before Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov put it into perspective.
Last week Putin made a barely disguised attempt to unleash fear and terror in the western hemisphere.
“Of course, if the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will use all means at our disposal to defend Russia and our people.
This is not a bluff," he said in a recorded TV speech, in which he also announced the partial mobilization.
Moscow has "various means of destruction, some of which are more advanced than those of NATO countries."
Putin friend warns of Russia's 'most fearsome weapon'
Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian head of state and now deputy chairman of the Security Council, stepped up his superior's nuclear threats.
"Let's imagine that Russia is forced to use the most fearsome weapon against the Ukrainian regime, which has committed a large-scale act of aggression dangerous to the existence of our state," wrote the man whom the West initially described as a liberal reformer and is now appearing as a hardliner on the messenger service Telegram.
Repeatedly warns the West about Russia's nuclear weapons: President Vladimir Putin.
© Mikhail Tereshchenko/AFP
A nuclear escalation in the Ukraine conflict would not only be a red line for Western countries.
Russia is in danger of becoming an internationally isolated pariah state after a nuclear strike – China and India, currently still important supporters, are also unlikely to have any interest in such an aggressive act.
Despite this, there is virtually no criticism of the rhetoric from the Russian media, the press is heavily censored and in almost all cases supports the Kremlin.
Russian newspaper criticizes nuclear threats in Ukraine war
All the more surprising is an editorial that appeared in the
Nezavisimaya Gazeta
(in English: independent newspaper) on Wednesday (September 28).
The Moscow daily is considered to be pro-government and normally does not criticize the Russian leadership.
Gazeta
commented that it is incomprehensible why Medvedev went from being a "representative of the Kremlin's liberal wing" to "uncompromising rhetoric"
.
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“For a long time, the great powers preferred not to speak directly about their nuclear arsenals, not to remind them and not to frighten the world community.
Weapons of mass destruction have been discussed mainly in the context of their non-proliferation.
(...) Now the unspoken taboo has been broken.
The possibility of, or a response to, a nuclear strike was explicitly discussed,” the newspaper wrote.
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Whole generations in Russia have been brought up to believe that a nuclear strike is something completely unacceptable, the Moscow newspaper explained.
"The story of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has become a tragic textbook - it's a story that has stuck in people's minds since childhood." lightness” would talk about the “nuclear button”.
The piece of opinion ends with incisive words.
“Allowing nuclear conflict in thought and word is a sure step towards making it real in practice.
And that means the potential destruction not only of cities and countries, but of civilization as a whole,” Nezavisimaya Gazeta
warned
, adding that this would hardly protect the interests of anyone, including the Russian Federation.
In his speech on the annexation on Friday, Putin only used the word nuclear bomb in one context: in allegations against the United States.
(
tvd
)
