MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday dismissed suggestions of the United States preparing for a war against Russia and China, and termed these claims as nonsense.
Speaking to Kremlin reporter in a clip published on Sunday, Putin cautioned that any conflict with Russia would escalate to an entirely different level compared to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
His comments were in response to a bipartisan panel appointed by the US Congress, which urged Washington to brace for potential simultaneous wars with Moscow and Beijing. The panel recommended the expansion of conventional forces, strengthening alliances, and enhancing the nuclear weapons modernization program.
Putin, who is scheduled to visit China this week, criticized the US for exacerbating tensions with Beijing through the formation of the Aukus security alliance involving the US, Australia, and Britain. He emphasized that Russia and China were not forming a military alliance despite their deepening partnership.
Putin Expresses Concerns Over War Scenarios Between Russia and US
Putin expressed his concerns about public discourse suggesting war scenarios between Russia and the US. He stated, “I do not think these are healthy thoughts in the minds of healthy people, because to say that the United States is preparing for war with Russia, well, we are all preparing for war because we follow the ancient principle: If you want peace, get ready for war.”
Putin emphasized that Russia sought peace but warned that a war involving great nuclear powers would be vastly different from the conflict in Ukraine, which Russia terms a special military operation. He urged caution and stated that contemplating such a conflict should raise concerns.
The US has portrayed China as its primary competitor and Russia as its most significant nation-state threat. President Joe Biden has framed this century as an existential contest between democracies and autocracies. Meanwhile, concerns persist in the West regarding the strengthening alliance between China and Russia.
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The US has voiced apprehensions about the modernization of nuclear arsenals by both Russia and China. The panel’s report indicated that if China continues its current pace of nuclear buildup, it could possess a stockpile of 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035. As of 2023, Putin controls approximately 5,889 nuclear warheads, compared to 5,244 controlled by President Biden, according to the Federation of American Scientists. Of these, Russia has around 1,674 deployed strategic nuclear warheads, while the US has 1,670.
