"A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."
Simon Coveney has strongly condemned Vladimir Putin's threats of nuclear warfare due to the conflict in Ukraine.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs released a statement on Monday (28 February) via
government websites.
“I strongly condemn the announcement by President Putin that he has put Russia’s ‘deterrent forces on special combat duty’," Coveney said.
“This threat of nuclear weapons is utterly unacceptable. President Putin’s announcement represents a dangerous and irresponsible escalation in tensions, and considerably heightens the risk of catastrophic miscalculation.
"There can be no justification for threatening use of nuclear weapons. Ireland has long argued that nuclear weapons offer no security, and their use would result in devastating humanitarian consequences.
"I recall the statement of the heads of the five Nuclear Weapon States, including President Putin, just last month, that ‘a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought’.
“I call for Russia to immediately revoke the order to place nuclear weapons on high-alert status, and I urge maximum restraint, de-escalation and the avoidance of any nuclear rhetoric which will only worsen an already dangerous and unpredictable situation,” he concluded.
Putin announced on state television on Sunday (27 February) that Russia's nuclear deterrent forces where to be put on high alert.
"As you can see, not only do Western countries take unfriendly measures against our country in the economic dimension - illegitimate sanctions that everyone knows about," Putin said.
"But also the highest-ranking officials of leading NATO countries are allowing themselves to make aggressive statements in relation to our country.
"For this reason I order the minister of defence and the chief of general staff to put deterrent forces on special combat duty."
Coveney also said that it would "
not be wise" to expel Yury Anatoliyevich Filatov, the Russian ambassador to Ireland.
