Russian Radio Host Pressures Putin to Change View of Nuclear Weapons

A prominent Russian television and radio host called nuclear war "inevitable" while discussing Russia's conflict in Ukraine before suggesting that Moscow use its nuclear weapons to give an "ultimatum" to Ukraine's allies.

Vladimir Solovyov, a well-known broadcaster and staunch supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, called on Moscow to directly threaten countries that support Ukraine with a nuclear strike.

Russia has limitations in place about using nukes first. In 2020, Putin signed an executive order that allows Russia to deploy nuclear weapons if "reliable data" shows "a launch of ballistic missiles attacking the territory of the Russian Federation and/or its allies." The doctrine also states that Russia can be justified in using nuclear weapons if there is evidence of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction being used on Russia, as well as if a country attacks "critical governmental or military sites," or if Russia's "very existence" is "in jeopardy."

Putin announced in February that he was suspending Russia's participation in the New START treaty, a nuclear arms pact with the United States that limited the number of warheads. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in late April that his country was still honoring a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. Putin himself also said in October that he has no intentions of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

But Solovyov believes Putin should take a harder line, according to recent comments he made on his radio show Polniy Kontakt (Full Contact) that were shared online by Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian Internal Affairs Ministry.

"I firmly believe that nuclear war is inevitable. I am deeply convinced of this," Solovyov said in the video clip that was translated and posted on Twitter by Gerashchenko.

"I believe that we should withdraw from the treaty of a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons in all environments. We need to test nuclear weapons so the West can see that they exist and see how powerful they are," Solovyov added.

Solovyov, who has been identified as a Kremlin propagandist by the U.S. State Department, also said that Moscow should "give an ultimatum to the NATO countries by targeting our nuclear strategic forces on government headquarters" of countries with nuclear capabilities and countries that support Ukraine.

According to Gerashchenko's translation, Solovyov then said that if those countries did not respond to Russia's "ultimatum," then "that means there will be no more London, no more Berlin, no more Paris, no more Washington D.C. That's my personal opinion."

Jason Jay Smart—a political adviser on post-Soviet and international politics—told Newsweek that Solovyov's comments may not have been made to pressure Putin but rather as part of the Kremlin's use of media messaging.

"Solovyov plays a couple of different roles as the Kremlin's favorite court jester, including taking the most radical positions so that anything 'more moderate' that the Kremlin eventually does appears as 'reasonable,'" Smart said.

He continued, "In the case of nukes, Solovyov knows there is no reason to believe that Russia is presently moving in the direction of using them. However, he recognizes that his broadcasts are often cited by foreign press and thus, in this instance, Solovyov is saber-rattling on behalf of the Kremlin."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs via email for comment.