Russian Ambassador-at-large Andrey Belousov made the remarks Sunday in an interview with Russian state broadcaster RT, arguing that Washington’s repeated calls for discussions about Russia’s non-strategic nuclear arsenal suggest the US is seriously considering the potential use of nuclear weapons in Europe, Anadolu Agency reported.
“Essentially, they view Europe as such a potential military theater,” Belousov said.
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He claimed that US calls for greater transparency over Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons were intended to shift international attention away from American nuclear weapons deployed in Europe, as well as Washington’s wider missile and nuclear programs.
According to Belousov, measures such as increased transparency, reductions or the elimination of Russia’s non-strategic nuclear arsenal could potentially make a nuclear-use scenario involving the US and its European allies more likely.
“I hope that Europe will recognize the danger of Washington’s purely operational-military approach to the territory of its allies,” he said.
Moscow has long objected to the deployment of US nuclear weapons in European NATO countries and the alliance’s nuclear-sharing arrangements. Belousov argued that expanding those arrangements and involving more NATO members in exercises related to the potential use of nuclear weapons were increasing risks to Russia’s security.
The Russian diplomat also pointed to Moscow’s previous reductions in its non-strategic nuclear arsenal. He said Russia reduced the stockpile by four times during the early 1990s and moved the remaining weapons to centralized storage facilities, expecting Washington to take reciprocal steps.
Belousov argued that subsequent US policies had failed to fundamentally improve Europe’s military and political environment.
He further criticized the collapse of arms-control and nuclear-disarmament agreements, along with US plans for the multilayered “Golden Dome” missile-defense system and the modernization of American nuclear forces.
Moscow, he said, wants to launch an international discussion about what it considers the destabilizing effects of NATO’s nuclear-sharing arrangements and is seeking the withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from Europe.
At the same time, Belousov said Russia remains open to restarting strategic talks with Washington, although he acknowledged that reaching mutually acceptable agreements currently appears difficult.
Any future negotiations, he argued, should be based on equal and indivisible security and address the broader range of factors affecting strategic stability rather than concentrating on individual weapons systems or isolated issues.
Belousov also warned that Russia could respond to developments involving strategic arms through political, diplomatic and military-technical measures designed to preserve what Moscow considers a strategic balance and counter potential threats.
The comments come amid continuing debate over the future of nuclear deterrence in Europe. The US maintains nuclear weapons in Europe as part of NATO’s deterrence arrangements, while Washington has continued to emphasize the importance of nuclear deterrence and has urged European allies to take greater responsibility for conventional defense.
US President Donald Trump said this week that he was not concerned about the possibility of Russia attacking NATO territory, despite growing European concerns about a potential Russian military challenge to the alliance.
NATO, meanwhile, has criticized Russia’s expansion and modernization of its non-strategic nuclear capabilities. Moscow considers its nuclear arsenal a key deterrent against NATO, whose conventional military capabilities significantly exceed Russia’s.
Tactical nuclear weapons remain one of the most sensitive issues in US-Russian arms-control discussions. Both countries maintain significant non-strategic nuclear arsenals, while the US also stations nuclear weapons in Europe under NATO arrangements.
The dispute comes as the broader arms-control framework faces renewed uncertainty following the expiration of the New START treaty in February, leaving the US and Russia without their last remaining agreement limiting their strategic nuclear arsenals.
