Putin Ally Threatens to Use 'Entire Arsenal' of Nuclear Weapons If Needed

Top Russian official Valentina Matviyenko, who is an ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatened that Moscow would use it's "entire arsenal" of nuclear weapons if provoked.

Matviyenko, who has served as a senator from St. Petersburg and the chairwoman of the Federation Council since 2011, warned that while nuclear war is not imminent, it is a possibility.

"Personally, I don't feel like [we are on the verge of nuclear war], but the trends are not good," Matviyenko said on the sidelines at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Russian state media agency Tass reported on Friday.

The Russian official said that as long as Russia's existence is not threatened, Moscow "will never use nuclear weapons."

However, this would not be the case in the event of an existential threat to the country.

"If there is a real threat to the existence of our state, a serious threat to our security and sovereignty, then, of course, we will use the entire arsenal, all the capabilities we have," she added.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian government via online form for comment.

Matviyenko also took a shot at the United States, which has been a key ally to Ukraine after Russia invaded the Eastern European country in February 2022.

"We have not done anything bad to anyone, we have not attacked anyone, unlike the United States," the Russian official said, claiming that the U.S. has orchestrated "color revolutions."

Color revolutions were protests in post-Soviet countries during the early 2000s that aimed to establish fair and free elections. Russia and China have accused the U.S. of staging these revolutions to expand its Western influence, yet there is no evidence to support such claims. One of the best-known color revolutions was Ukraine's Orange Revolution in 2004-2005, which followed reports of election fraud.

Russia's Nuclear Policy

When asked if Russia's nuclear doctrine would be updated to include the possibility of a preventive strike, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters in May: "The doctrine and basics of state policy in the area of nuclear deterrence explicitly state the possibilities for the first use of nuclear weapons."

He continued: "At the moment, nothing has changed in this regard, but the situation itself is changing. As a result, the way basic documents in this field relate to the needs of maintaining our security is constantly analyzed."

Putin said in March that, while Moscow is prepared for nuclear war, it is not his intention to use such weapons unless there is a threat to the "existence of the Russian state" or "damage to our sovereignty and independence."

Russia conducted nuclear-weapon drills in late May. Russia's defense ministry said when announcing the drills earlier that month that the exercises were connected to "provocative statements and threats by certain Western officials against the Russian Federation."