Ukraine war: Very low chance Russia will use nuclear weapons - expert

Russia's president Vladimir Putin has repeatedly hinted at using nuclear weapons.

Amid a profitable Ukrainian counteroffensive, he stated Moscow would "defend [its] land with all of the forces and assets" it has. 

It comes as his US counterpart Joe Biden stated the threats have been essentially the most critical because the 1962 Cuban Missile Disaster.

Euronews spoke to Nikolai Sokov, a senior fellow on the Vienna Centre for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation who used to work at Russia's overseas ministry, to get his views on the probabilities of nuclear weapons getting used within the Ukraine warfare.

Here's a choice of his solutions.

Do you suppose Russian president Vladimir Putin may use nuclear weapons?

"Should you imply utilizing nuclear weapons in opposition to Ukraine, then the likelihood could be very, very low. In fact, lately, something can occur," stated Sokov.

"Up to now, all nuclear signalling that has been finished by Vladimir Putin and his associates because the starting of the warfare has been directed on the West, at NATO, however not at Ukraine."

Do you suppose that he may deploy nuclear armaments in the direction of the West, in the direction of NATO members?

"He does not should deploy a lot. Loads of weapons are already deployed or can be utilized from fairly deep inside Russia.

"The primary threat is that the warfare in Ukraine escalates and straight entails NATO. I do not anticipate a shock assault by Russia utilizing nuclear weapons in opposition to NATO.

"It will likely be a course of. There can be extra warnings, or there can be presumably using typical weapons, however later it can come to nuclear weapons.

"The extra seemingly situation is the nuclear assessments, however not within the Black Sea. The nuclear assessments can be on the common nuclear check website on Novaya Zemlya, or very a lot within the north of Russia, within the Arctic."

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The primary threat is that the warfare in Ukraine escalates and straight contain NATO

Nikolai Sokov

Senior Fellow on the Vienna Heart for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

"Any use of nuclear weapons, irrespective of how highly effective, is a significant step. A really restricted or only a handful of low-yield nuclear weapons is not going to change the state of affairs on the entrance traces.

"We do are inclined to overestimate the army worth of tactical nuclear weapons. In 1967, the US did a research of the potential of utilizing tactical nuclear weapons in Vietnam. It was concluded that, from the army perspective, this might not change the state of affairs.

"Nuclear weapons have extra utility after they're not used once you threaten their use. However when you cross the brink the state of affairs adjustments.

"Despite the fact that we have seen quite a lot of nuclear blustering on Moscow's facet. We now have not seen any sensible steps that may counsel that Russia is making ready to make use of nuclear weapons."

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Nuclear weapons have extra utility after they're not used, once you threaten their use. However when you cross the brink the state of affairs adjustments.

Nikolai Sokov

Senior fellow on the Vienna Centre for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

Backed right into a nook, may Putin not lash out and use nuclear weapons as a final resort?

"I'd say that if the survival of the nation, of the political regime, is at stake, then sure, that is precisely the state of affairs for which nuclear weapons are meant."

We're seeing main battleground losses. Many individuals would argue that the survival of Putin's regime is in danger.

"Not but. I am fairly sure that Russia nonetheless has assets. It is clearly making ready for a counteroffensive, which can in all probability happen within the winter. If we speak concerning the Russian defeat on the battlefield, that also does probably not put the survival of the nation in danger.

"Joe Biden has really been doing fairly a great job up to now. We do have an excellent likelihood to get via this disaster with out seeing nuclear use."