US must return overseas nukes to national territory: Russian envoy

Russia has called on the United States to return all nuclear weapons stationed overseas to national territory to “prevent escalation” of tensions.

Ambassador Anatoly Antonov urged Washington on Saturday to “return all the nuclear weapons deployed overseas back to its national territory, eliminate overseas infrastructure for their storage and maintenance, and to abandon the practice of simulating the use of such weapons.”

“In these times of tensions and increased risks, nuclear states have a special responsibility to prevent escalation,” the Russian ambassador said.

Antonov also called on the White House to “stop the practice of testing the use of such munitions with the involvement of military personnel of non-nuclear states, as part of NATO ‘joint nuclear missions,’ contrary to the fundamental principles of the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons).”

The ambassador also warned Washington against its plan of expediting the updated nuclear warheads to Europe.

"As for US air-dropped bombs, they are deployed to European countries with short flight times to Russia’s border. This is why B61-12 bombs have strategic importance despite their limited capacity."

Antonov referred to a report by Politico on Wednesday, which said Washington had accelerated the upgraded B61-12 air-dropped gravity bomb to NATO bases in Europe. Citing a US diplomatic cable and two people familiar with the issue, Politico reported that the arrival of the nuclear bomb, originally slated for next spring, is now planned for December.

The B61 is a family of nuclear bombs first developed in the early 1960s and initially demonstrated in underground nuclear tests in Nevada.

Russia slams US deployment of new nukes in Europe, vows response

Russia slams rapid deployment of modernized US B61 tactical nuclear weapons at NATO bases in Europe, saying the move would lower the "nuclear threshold."

Friction in relations between the West and Russia is becoming deeper over what the United States and its allies brand as Russia's threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine. For months, US officials have repeatedly warned of the possibility of Russia using weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine. However, officials in Washington have conceded they have seen no change to Russia's nuclear forces that would require a change in the alert posture of American nuclear forces.

Russia launched a military campaign in Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the 2014 Minsk agreements and Moscow’s recognition of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

On October 25, the Kremlin warned Ukraine was preparing to use a “dirty bomb,” which is an explosive device laced with radioactive material. Ukraine has denied any attempt to use such a weapon.

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