Russian top official says even talks about possibility of nuclear war unacceptable

MOSCOW

Russia considers talks about the possibility of a nuclear war unacceptable, the speaker of the Russian Federation Council said Thursday.

"It is unacceptable to even talk about the possibility of a nuclear war at all. Any sane person, especially a politician and statesman, understands that a nuclear war, if God forbid it happened, generally means the end of human civilization,” Valentina Matvienko said at a news conference in Moscow when asked if the current Russian-Western confrontation regarding the war in Ukraine may evolve into a nuclear conflict. “It can't even be discussed. It is impossible to imagine this even in the most terrible nightmare.”

Russia perceives nuclear weapons as a tool of containment. Its military doctrine allows only the defensive use of this kind of weapon, in response to an attack, she said.

Regarding comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who announced his desire to turn Ukraine into a nuclear power, Matvienko said: "It's like giving a grenade to a madman."

She slammed the idea of transferring Russia's assets frozen in the West to Ukraine as state-sponsored theft.

"This is some kind of state banditry. When all international rules are violated, when absolutely illegal sanctions are imposed, assets of a sovereign state are frozen and plundered on an ethnic basis, the property of Russian citizens is liquidated and taken away without trial, investigation and specific claims,” she said, "State banditry is that they consider it possible to interfere in the affairs of sovereign states -- Yugoslavia, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and so on.”

All illegal actions are taken to preserve the US’ hegemony, she said.

Matvienko refused to speculate about the fate of Ukraine's territory that went under Russia's control, noting that residents of those territories will decide what to do.

"If residents of Donetsk and Lugansk, other territories and regions of Ukraine consider it necessary to hold a referendum (on joining the Russian Federation), to express their will, we, within the framework of our constitutional duties, powers, of course, will consider this issue," she said.

Johnson discredited himself as a politician

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson disgraced himself as a politician but continues to cling to the position, Matvienko said in response to a question about the political crisis in Great Britain.

"He discredited himself in the eyes of his own citizens as a prime minister. As a politician, in my opinion, he deserves an adequate assessment.

"At the current level of distrust on the part of UK residents, Johnson has to resign as prime minister of the country, although he clings (to his position) to the last," she said.

Johnson pursued a hostile policy toward Russia and he was doing it without taking into account the opinions of UK citizens, she added.

"As a result of such a thoughtless policy and disregard for our own national interests, we see what the situation has come to in many European countries. According to the latest data, 70% of UK residents do not support the policy of Prime Minister Johnson," she said.

Johnson agreed to resign Thursday after coming under enormous pressure as more than 50 politicians have resigned from his government in the last 48 hours.

Johnson will resign as Conservative leader but it is not clear whether he will continue to serve as prime minister until the party elects a new leader.