The director of the CIA warned that the US “cannot take the threat of the use of nuclear weapons lightly” from Russia

The threat that Russia could use tactical or poorly performing nuclear weapons in Ukraine cannot be taken lightly, but the CIA has not seen much practical evidence to reinforce that concern, CIA director William Burns said on Thursday.

In a speech at Georgia Tech, Burns spoke of the “potential despair” and military setbacks that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government have suffered since they moved forces to Ukraine on February 24.

For these reasons, “none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a possible use of tactical or low-performing nuclear weapons,” Burns said.

That said, despite the Kremlin's “rhetorical stances” on the placing on high alert of the world's largest nuclear arsenal, “we haven't seen much practical evidence of the kind of military deployments or arrangements that reinforce that concern.”

Burns made his comments in response to a question from former US Senator Sam Nunn, one of the leading advocates of gun control, at the end of his first speech since taking over the leadership of America's leading espionage agency in March 2021.

In a wide-ranging speech, the former US career diplomat said that US spy agencies began collecting last autumn “disturbing and detailed” information about Putin's plan for a “new major invasion” of Ukraine.

Putin has “cooked” in grievance, ambition and insecurity and saw that the “window was closing to shape Ukraine's orientation” away from the West, said Burns, who called the Russian leader an “apostle of revenge.”

US intelligence has been vital in Ukraine's fight against Russian forces, said Burns, whose diplomatic positions included one as US ambassador to Moscow.

The “crimes” he said those forces committed in the Ukrainian town of Bucha are “horrifying”.

Russia, which has repeatedly denied attacking civilians since the invasion, called allegations that its forces executed civilians in Bucha while occupying the city as a “monstrous forgery” aimed at denigrating the Russian army. The Kremlin says it launched a “special military operation” to demilitarize and “liberate” Ukraine from nationalist extremists.

On the other hand, former Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev said on Thursday that if Finland or Sweden join NATO, Russia will strengthen its military contingent, including nuclear weapons in the Baltic Sea, near Scandinavia.

In the event of accession, “the borders of the Alliance with Russia would be doubled. And it will be necessary to defend these borders,” the current number two of the Russian Security Council revealed in a message via Telegram.

“In this case, it could no longer be considered a non-nuclear Baltic,” he added, also recalling the deployment of infantry and air defense systems in northwestern Russia and naval forces in the Gulf of Finland.

Referring to the population of Finland and Sweden, the official said that “no one in their right mind (...) can want an increase in tension on their borders and have Iskander (missiles), hypersonic (missiles) and nuclear-armed ships next to their home”.

Finland, which shares a long border with Russia and has a complicated history with its neighbor, as well as Sweden, are planning to enter NATO after the Russian offensive against Ukraine.

(With information from Reuters and AFP)

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