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.
“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.
CIA Chief Bill Burns’ remarks come after Russian President Putin said that the conflict is “going to take a while”while warning against the “increasing threat of nuclear war.”
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.
Not to mention, since the beginning of the war, India has been emphasizing on the dialogue and diplomacy. In a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 16, 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, according to the statement released by PMO.
“Today’s era is not of war and I have spoken to you about it on the call. Today we will get the opportunity to talk about how we can progress on the path of peace. India and Russia have stayed together with each other for several decades. We spoke several times on the phone about India-Russia bilateral relations and various issues. We should find ways to address the problems of food, fuel security and fertilizers,” PM Modi had said.