Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu warned in an interview with the state news agency Tass that the risk of military confrontation between Russia and its ally Belarus against the West is “heightening.”
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment via email on Friday.
Why It Matters
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, tensions between Russia and NATO have intensified, with repeated threats of nuclear escalation.
The U.S. is a close ally of Ukraine and has condemned the invasion, believing it’s an attack on Ukrainian sovereignty, and has provided billions in military aid to Kyiv.
Beyond allyship, Belarus and Russia coordinate strategic military efforts, with Russia having stationed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Since taking office earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Putin to end the war or face economic sanctions and tariffs. He has also called on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to increase oil production to lower prices and undercut Russia.
What To Know
Shoigu, who leads the Kremlin’s security council, told Tass, “Amid increased conflict behavior and intensified geopolitical rivalry, global risks of a military confrontation between large players, including nuclear powers, are heightening,” specifically identifying Western countries as major players.
Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu attends a meeting on the development of the country’s military industrial complex chaired by Russian President, at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 15, 2024.
Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu attends a meeting on the development of the country’s military industrial complex chaired by Russian President, at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 15, 2024.
Photo by VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
He said that the efforts extend beyond economic sanctions but rather are destabilization efforts against ideology and values in Russia and neighboring Belarus, according to Tass.
Shoigu said “attempts are being made to undermine global efforts toward preventing an arms race in space and turn outer space into a new sphere of military confrontation,” concluding that “These actions are directly aimed at weakening our countries as they pursue the goal of depriving us of our sovereignty and right to choose our own path of development and realize strategic interests.”
Both Russia and the U.S. are nuclear powers, with Russia holding the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, according to nuclear monitors. The U.S. has the second largest stockpile.
A 2024 report by FAS estimates Russia 5,580 nuclear warheads. It reports that the U.S. has 5,044 and China has 500, whereas the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says Russia and the U.S. possess 4,380 and 3,708, respectively. The U.S. government previously revealed in September 2023 that it had 3,748 nuclear warheads at the time.
Outside of the U.S., Russia, China, and North Korea, five other countries possess nuclear weapons. These include India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, France and Israel, although Israel has not admitted or denied this.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post on Wednesday: “I’m not looking to hurt Russia. I love the Russian people, and always had a very good relationship with President Putin…I’m going to do Russia, whose Economy is failing, and President Putin, a very big FAVOR. Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”
Russian Government spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, per Reuters: “Putin is ready. We are waiting for signals (from Washington). Everyone is ready. It is difficult to read the coffee grounds here. As soon as there is something, if there is something, we will inform you.”
On the subject of nuclear disarmament, Ben Aris, a former reporter focused on Russia, wrote on X: “seems to me that Putin is signaling to Trump that he is willing to make ‘a deal’ Peskov saying Kremlin opening to restart missile control deals remember very first thing Biden did in 2021 in first week was renew Start III missile deal – first Cold War era arms deal to be renewed. it was seen as a breakthru at the time. now Putin is offering to start Trumps presidency in the same war….”
What Happens Next
It is not yet known when Putin and Trump will speak on these issues, and when the new U.S. president will call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose team has also said that his administration is working to arrange a meeting with Washington, according to the Kyiv Independent.