NATO Ally Sounds Alarm on 'Risks' of Nuclear War With Russia

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a warning about the "risks" of nuclear war with Russia, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

The Russia-Ukraine war has raged on for more than two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022. Although Moscow aimed for a quick victory over its Eastern European neighbor, viewed as having a much smaller military, its spirited defense effort bolstered by Western aid, has blocked it from making substantial gains.

Recent weeks have seen Ukraine launch its own counteroffensive into Kursk—marking the first time Russian territory has been seized since World War II.

The conflict, however, has long raised concerns about whether Russia could deploy nuclear weapons. Putin has repeatedly made eyebrow-raising statements about nuclear weapons amid the ongoing war as Moscow has more nuclear warheads than any other country, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICANW).

On Friday, Fidan raised concerns about whether nuclear weapons would eventually be used in Ukraine. Turkey is notably a key ally to the United States and member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), though Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has at times broken from the West on Ukraine.

"Unfortunately, a war in the heart of Europe between Russia and Ukraine is in its third year. It risks escalating into a war involving the use of nuclear weapons," Fidan said during a TRT Haber broadcast, Tass reported.

He added that there is "nothing more humane than the demand to stop the war" and that negotiations need to take place to "prevent our region from being further devastated by war."

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian, Turkish and Ukrainian foreign ministries for comment via email.

His remarks come after Sergey Naryshkin, director of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) on Thursday accused the U.S. of "trying to bring imbalance to the system of international security" in the nuclear sphere.

In June, Putin said the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons amid the war should "not be taken lightly" by the West.

"For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use it...We have a nuclear doctrine, look what it says," the Russian leader said, referring to his country's policy of allowing nuclear weapon usage if "the very existence of the state is put under threat."

"If someone's actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible for us to use all means at our disposal," Putin added. "This should not be taken lightly, superficially."

The U.S. has been a key ally to Ukraine amid the conflict, with the Biden administration, along with many other world leaders, saying the invasion was unprovoked and lacks justification. Washington has given billions of dollars in military aid to Kyiv that has proven crucial to its defense efforts.

Ukraine's Kursk offensive sparked nuclear concerns from Russia, which earlier this month accused Ukraine of attempting to attack a nuclear power plant using drones.

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