US: Pentagon has not identified a ‘concrete’ change in Russia’s nuclear stance

The Pentagon announced today that it has not identified any “concrete” change in Russia’s nuclear stance since Vladimir Putin put his country’s deterrent forces on alert.

“We are still monitoring and monitoring it as closely as possible,” a senior Pentagon official told reporters following the announcement by the Russian president. “I do not think we have seen anything concrete as a result of his decision. At least not yet,” he added.

The official acknowledged that it was “difficult to know what is behind Putin’s mandate.” But “the mere fact of provoking” or “threatening” a “use of nuclear power” is “ineffective and represents a significant escalation,” he said, confirming that Moscow had “never” been threatened by NATO.

In addition to Putin’s change of heart, his ally, Belarus, held a referendum on Sunday, abolishing the former Soviet republic’s obligation to remain a “nuclear-free zone.”

Westerners have denounced the decision, which they believe could allow Moscow to transfer nuclear weapons to Belarus, another of Ukraine’s neighbors that also borders several North Atlantic Alliance countries.

Asked if such moves had been made, the senior Pentagon official said “no”.

He also assured that the Belarusian army does not appear to have entered Ukraine to assist Russian forces at this stage.

“We have not seen any indication that Belarusian troops have entered the battlefield to enter Ukraine, and certainly no indication that they have already entered or are entering Ukraine,” he said.

“As far as we know, the forces that have entered Ukraine are all Russian,” he added, noting that Moscow has now transferred to Ukrainian territory “almost 75%” of the combat forces it has amassed at the border in recent months.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ