Serbia’s Vucic says Putin is serious about nuclear weapons
Serbia's president has issued a caution to NATO regarding potential escalation with Moscow. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has issued a grave warning to Western leaders regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's commitment to using nuclear weapons if Moscow’s established red lines are violated. He characterized those who disregard Putin’s threats as either "crazy people" or individuals lacking understanding of the Russian leader.
“If you think you can attack everything on Russian territory with Western logistics and weapons without getting a response, and that Putin won’t use whatever weapons he deems necessary, then you either don’t know him or you’re abnormal,” Vucic stated to reporters on Monday, as reported by the Serbian news outlet Novosti.
Vucic expressed concern that the world stands on the edge of disaster, with no one taking steps to negotiate peace in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “The world is approaching disaster. No one listens. No one talks about peace,” he observed. “Today, it’s an intercontinental missile [sic]; tomorrow, it’s something else.”
The Serbian president, whose nation endured a significant NATO bombing campaign in 1999, referenced Russia's revised nuclear doctrine approved by Putin on November 19. This document allows Russia to interpret an attack from a non-nuclear state—especially if supported by a nuclear power—as tantamount to direct nuclear aggression.
This new doctrine also expands the conditions under which nuclear weapons may be deployed to include conventional military threats that could endanger the sovereignty or territorial integrity of Russia or its ally, Belarus.
Vucic acknowledged that while Putin considers nuclear weapons a measure of last resort, he underscored that the Russian president would act if Moscow’s security is under serious threat. “If Moscow’s security or its forces are at risk, and if there’s no other way out, he will use nuclear weapons,” he remarked. Vucic assured that Serbia aims to remain uninvolved in any such conflict but cautioned that “the targets will be around us.”
Moscow has persistently accused Western nations of escalating tensions in the Ukraine conflict by providing long-range missiles to Kiev. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently labeled such actions as a “new escalation” designed to extend the war and utilize Ukraine in a broader confrontation with Russia.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
“If you think you can attack everything on Russian territory with Western logistics and weapons without getting a response, and that Putin won’t use whatever weapons he deems necessary, then you either don’t know him or you’re abnormal,” Vucic stated to reporters on Monday, as reported by the Serbian news outlet Novosti.
Vucic expressed concern that the world stands on the edge of disaster, with no one taking steps to negotiate peace in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “The world is approaching disaster. No one listens. No one talks about peace,” he observed. “Today, it’s an intercontinental missile [sic]; tomorrow, it’s something else.”
The Serbian president, whose nation endured a significant NATO bombing campaign in 1999, referenced Russia's revised nuclear doctrine approved by Putin on November 19. This document allows Russia to interpret an attack from a non-nuclear state—especially if supported by a nuclear power—as tantamount to direct nuclear aggression.
This new doctrine also expands the conditions under which nuclear weapons may be deployed to include conventional military threats that could endanger the sovereignty or territorial integrity of Russia or its ally, Belarus.
Vucic acknowledged that while Putin considers nuclear weapons a measure of last resort, he underscored that the Russian president would act if Moscow’s security is under serious threat. “If Moscow’s security or its forces are at risk, and if there’s no other way out, he will use nuclear weapons,” he remarked. Vucic assured that Serbia aims to remain uninvolved in any such conflict but cautioned that “the targets will be around us.”
Moscow has persistently accused Western nations of escalating tensions in the Ukraine conflict by providing long-range missiles to Kiev. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently labeled such actions as a “new escalation” designed to extend the war and utilize Ukraine in a broader confrontation with Russia.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
