Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s views on the use of nuclear weapons had an impact on the Russians and could well have averted a global disaster in the context of the Ukraine war, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Bill Burns said, according to PBS.
“I think it’s also been very useful that Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi in India have also raised their concerns about the use of nuclear weapons as well. I think that’s also having an impact on the Russians,” Bill Burns said in an interview with PBS. “I think the saber-rattling is meant to intimidate. We don’t see any clear evidence today of plans to use tactical nuclear weapons,” he added.
India has been calling for dialogue and diplomacy since the war began between Russia and Ukraine.
In a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 16 December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy as the “only way forward” in the context of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
CIA Chief Bill Burns remarks come as Russian President Vladimir Putin on 3 December admitted that the conflict is “going to take a while.” He also warned of the “increasing” threat of nuclear war. In his address at the meeting of Russia’s Human Rights Council at the Kremlin, Putin said that Russia will fight by “all available means” at its disposal, according to CNN. Putin said that he considered Moscow’s nuclear arsenal as a ‘deterrent rather than a provocation.’
“As for the idea that Russia wouldn’t use such weapons first under any circumstances, then it means we wouldn’t be able to be the second to use them either – because the possibility to do so in case of an attack on our territory would be very limited,” CNN quoted Putin as saying.