PRESS RELEASE : It is necessary to stop the terrorist pressure that Russia exerts on European countries – Mykhailo Podolyak in an interview with Bild [October 2022]

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 14 October 2022.

In the event of a real nuclear threat from Russia, the aggressor country will receive an appropriate response from the world, and the Russian authorities understand this. This was stated by Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office Mykhailo Podolyak in an interview with the German newspaper Bild.

“NATO monitors everything that happens in Russia with nuclear weapons. And NATO categorically warns Russia that if there is even an attempt to use nuclear weapons, there will be a response. Today, Russia is gradually reducing its rhetorical threats with nuclear weapons. There is a protocol according to which the nuclear powers act,” he said

Mykhailo Podolyak noted that the world is already doing a lot to prevent Russia from using nuclear weapons, in particular, relevant warning statements were made by U.S. President Joseph Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. UN Secretary-General António Guterres also called on Russia to immediately stop the rhetoric about nuclear threats.

The Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office noted that Russia invaded the territory of Ukraine with conventional weapons, and our troops counterattacked and pushed back the Russian army also with conventional weapons.

“Russia says: “If Ukraine does not allow us to keep the territories we invaded and cannot keep with conventional weapons, we will use nuclear weapons.” This is how a nuclear state threatens a non-nuclear state. If Russia is not stopped now, other countries will withdraw from the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons – ed.), because any war against a nuclear state will lead to losses. These countries will try to find components for nuclear weapons on the black market or elsewhere. Russia not only threatens Ukraine, it breaks a key element of global security,” the Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office said.

That is why, according to him, other countries react harshly to blackmail by a state possessing nuclear weapons.

“Everyone understands that they must give Russia a symmetrical response. Those who want to use nuclear weapons will get a response, and Russia seems to understand that,” Mykhailo Podolyak said.

The Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office expressed his belief that, despite the statements, the Russian Federation will still not use nuclear weapons, including tactical ones.

“Today we see a drastic decline in the nuclear threat in Russian rhetoric – if we ignore propagandists and talk about officials. We’re seeing a dramatic decline in the nuclear threat, and that’s a pretty good sign. Russia has admitted that it can wage war with conventional weapons, but any attempt to use nuclear weapons will lead to an immediate response,” he stated.

In addition to nuclear blackmail, Mykhailo Podolyak also mentioned the terrorist pressure that Russia exerts on European countries, particularly in the energy sector. The Russian Federation not only blows up its own gas pipelines, but also tries to damage the Ukrainian gas transmission system and delay the supply of gas volumes ordered by European countries.

As the Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office noted, the Russians believe that this will force Germany to receive gas through the Nord Stream 2 branch and endorse its operation.

To prevent the realization of this scenario, it is necessary to protect Ukrainian critical infrastructure from damage by Russian missiles. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen Ukrainian air defense and close the sky from Russian cruise missiles, Mykhailo Podolyak emphasized.

“Yes, we expect attacks, and Russia has publicly stated this. Their goal is to destroy civilian infrastructure, since they can’t do anything on the battlefield. We are aware of this and, together with our partners, develop programs for the protection of critical objects. Second, we developed a rapid system to repair damage and replenish energy in the event of leakage from one region to another. We will also advance our counteroffensive at the front. So Russia will have to focus its attention and efforts on the battlefield. We believe that the sooner we end this war, the less pressure and damage there will be to our infrastructure,” the Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office summarized.