MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. The United States’ allegations that Russia’s military doctrine has an aggressive nature are absolutely groundless, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday commenting on the pronouncements by Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the United States’ highest-ranking military officer, that Russia is allegedly looking at using non-strategic nuclear weapons in Europe.
"Allegations about Russia’s nuclear policy are absolutely groundless and are oriented to those in the habit of taking highly-likely-style fake news for granted. Such news are now characteristic of Washington-led coalitions, information campaigns and so on," she said.
"Objectively-minded specialists clearly see the falsity of the West’s allegations about the Russian military doctrine that is geared to prevent nuclear conflicts, like any other military conflicts," she stressed, adding that the United States and some of the NATO countries have been sticking to the initially false position that Russia’s military doctrine envisages local use of nuclear weapons as part of some offensive operations to have them completed to its own benefit.
Russia’s military doctrine is purely defensive and outlines concrete scenarios under which Russia reserves the right to use nuclear weapons maximally clear and lucidly, Zakharova stressed.
In her words, the United States is frightening its NATO allies by the threat from Russia to whip up anti-Russian hysteria.
"In this case, some NATO nuclear powers seek to attribute to Russia, absolutely groundlessly, their own experience and approaches that allow pre-emptive use of nuclear weapons as the so-called last warning or demonstration of resoluteness to protect their vital national interests NATO’s leading nations are in the habit of interpreting in a wide way," she said.