- Putin Warns: "Europe Must Treat Russia With Respect"

Russian President Vladimir Putin in a file image.

The Kremlin acknowledges "due level" consultations with the US on nuclear weapons

The Kremlin acknowledged consultations with the United States on nuclear weapons on Monday after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use his entire arsenal to defend his country against what he called "nuclear blackmail" by NATO.

These consultations are held "at the proper level", explained Dmitri Peskov, presidential spokesman during his traditional telephone press conference.

"There are channels of dialogue, but it is very sporadic. At least, they allow urgent messages to be sent with the positions of each one," he specified.

Of course, Peskov left without comment the warnings of the US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, that his country will respond "decisively" if Moscow resorts to nuclear weapons.

"We have communicated directly, in private, at very high levels to the Kremlin, that any use of nuclear weapons will have catastrophic consequences for Russia, that the United States and our allies will respond decisively," the US adviser said.

In a televised speech last Wednesday, Putin warned NATO that Russia has an "unparalleled" arsenal that allows it to counter any Western threat.

"I want to remind you that our country also has different offensive systems and, in some components, they are more modern than those of NATO countries," he said.

It was of little use that the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Riabkov, clarified shortly after that Russia does not threaten anyone with nuclear weapons, in a conference dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

US President Joe Biden took advantage of his speech at the UN General Assembly to accuse Putin of making "irresponsible threats about the use of nuclear weapons."

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