Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov issued a strong warning to the US on Tuesday, cautioning against the potential return of its tactical nuclear weapons to the UK. Ryabkov emphasized that such a move would be destabilizing and not enhance the security of either the UK or the US. Instead, it could escalate tensions and pose a threat in Europe.
“I would like to strongly warn against this destabilizing step,” Ryabkov told reporters, noting that the hypothetical return of US tactical nuclear weapons to the UK would not contribute to European security. Despite past experiences, Ryabkov expressed concern that lessons were not being learned, making this scenario plausible.
The warning comes in response to reports from The Telegraph on January 26, stating that the US plans to station B61-12 gravity bombs, which are three times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, at the Lakenheath base. This move marks the first time the US would deploy nuclear weapons in the UK in 15 years, following the decision to remove its nuclear arsenal from the country in 2008.
