MOSCOW, November 18. /TASS/. Russia would be justified to conduct nuclear tests now that US President Joe Biden has authorized strikes inside Russia using US-supplied long-range missiles, Dmitry Suslov, deputy director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics, told TASS.
"No doubt, such actions should bring about even more nuclear deterrence on the part of Russia," said Suslov, who is also on the expert panel at the Valdai Discussion Club. "Biden’s decision shows that even the steps Russia has recently taken in the nuclear sphere, the statements made by [Russian President] Vladimir Putin on revisions to Russia’s nuclear doctrine and the holding of exercises to practice the use of nuclear weapons have produced a provisional effect rather than a lasting one. It wasn’t enough. Apparently, we should move from words to deeds," he maintained.
Against this backdrop, "the nuclear deterrence policy should be strengthened even more," Suslov argued. "[Russia] should perhaps move on to nuclear tests," he added.
Russia has officially stated that it would not resume nuclear tests unless the United States did so first, the expert recounted. "But it is important to recognize that, firstly, the [Donald] Trump team has advocated for resuming nuclear tests, and, secondly, given the West’s de facto direct involvement in a war against Russia, it may be worth revisiting Russia’s position on nuclear tests," he insisted.
The New York Times reported that Biden has allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia, in particular in the bordering region of Kursk.