Russian lawmakers commented on the past US exercises to repel Russia’s nuclear attack on European countries.
Oleg Morozov, a member of the international committee of the Federation Council, said in a conversation with RIA Novosti that such statements by the Pentagon are a provocation.
“Of course, this is a provocation. Our military doctrine does not have the idea of using the first nuclear strike. It can only be retaliatory”, – the senator said.
At the same time, he said that even the military operations themselves in Europe can only be retaliatory. However, the United States and NATO “pretend they don’t know about it”, alluding to the aggressive nature of Russia’s behavior in Europe.
“But this is not true. We are preparing exclusively for a defensive war”, – he concluded.
Russian senator Aleksey Pushkov doubted the US’s promises not to deploy its nuclear missiles in Europe, given that imitating a nuclear attack on Russia during the US exercises “suggests the presence of such missiles on the continent”.
“Belief should not be assurances, but the Pentagon’s military plans. Imitation of a strike is a good guide”, – he wrote on Twitter.
In turn, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs Alexei Chepa, in an interview with RT, considered that with such exercises, NATO is working out “the enormous money that is budgeted because these military” games “are a natural process for NATO to work”.
In his opinion, now the US is trying to increase the contributions of other countries – members of the bloc to NATO.
“Therefore, they obviously show that the stronger we are, the more we will protect you. We (in Russia, – ed.) Have a defensive doctrine. Therefore, this (exercises, – ed.) is aimed at yet another pressure on NATO countries, of which the United States “squeezes” another money to maintain its military-industrial complex”, – the parliamentarian concluded.
The Pentagon spokesman said earlier that the scenario of “small exercises” included “an emergency situation in Europe, where there is a war with Russia and Russia decides to use low-power nuclear weapons against an object on NATO territory”.
The exercises worked out the actions of American troops. It is assumed that in this direction of events, a retaliatory nuclear strike should follow.