16:00 04-05-2026

Russia Nuclear Warning to Europe: Mikheyev’s View

United States Department of Energy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Political analyst Sergey Mikheyev says Russia must signal nuclear readiness to deter Europe as NATO expands forces and cites Russian threat.

Political analyst Sergey Mikheyev believes Russia should make clear to Europe that it is both ready and able to use nuclear weapons. In his view, only the nuclear factor can serve as a real deterrent for European states.

Speaking to TV host Vladimir Solovyov for the Vesti news service, Mikheyev argued that if nuclear weapons are taken out of the equation, Europe could allow itself far more room for military escalation. He said Moscow’s key political task is to make European capitals understand that nuclear weapons could be used at maximum force.

Mikheyev also dismissed calls for Moscow to lower the temperature and act more cautiously. According to him, such restraint would not help Russia and could create serious problems for it later. He believes that only awareness of the threat of a nuclear strike can halt Europe’s drift toward a larger war, since there is no other deterrent mechanism in the current situation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Moscow does not intend to attack NATO countries. Western politicians, however, continue to invoke the idea of a «Russian threat» to alarm their own populations.

NATO describes its military build-up as a measure aimed at «deterring aggression». The Kremlin says Russia is not threatening anyone, but will closely monitor actions that could endanger its national interests.