Russian MFA: Position on use of nuclear weapons unchanged

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the country did not change its approaches to the issue of the use of nuclear weapons, and the Japanese government's attempts to accuse Moscow of "nuclear blackmail" are cynical and unscrupulous.

“The desire to ascribe to Russia the lack of intention to use nuclear weapons in connection with the events in Ukraine is nothing more than cynical, unscrupulous speculation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, Gazeta.ru reports.

Commenting on Japan’s 20th “package” of anti-Russian sanctions published on May 26, the foreign ministry said it seems that Tokyo has set itself the task of becoming a leader in anti-Russian restrictions.

“We continue to monitor the practical implementation of such steps and assess their possible impact on national security and the economy. In any case, such illegitimate actions of official Tokyo will not go unanswered,” the ministry added.

On May 26, Japanese Cabinet Secretary-General Hirokazu Matsuno said that the deployment of Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus would only increase tension around the situation in Ukraine.