In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Sergey Karaganov, former advisor to Russian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Boris Yeltsin, on Wednesday warned Europe that Russia will use nuclear weapons against the continent if it ever gets close to being defeated by Europe.
According to Karaganov (head of Russia's Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, which is close to Putin), the idea of Europe defeating Russia was "fantastic illusion" for Europe. He added that the European leadership's "intellectual incapacity" was responsible for creating this belief.
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'Russia will use nuclear weapons...'
"What is defeat of Russia? If Russia comes ever close to a defeat, that would mean that Russia now would use nuclear weapons and Europe would be finished physically," he warned.
"So I mean, it's simply impossible even to think about it, but they have been talking because they need a war to rationalise their stay in power, to rationalise their existence," Karaganov added.
Criticises own government
Karaganov criticised his own government for being "too prudent and too patient" with Europe. While speaking to Tucker Carlson, he said, "I am criticising my government of being too prudent and too patient with them... But sooner or later, if they continue to support this war, sacrificing numerous of the Ukrainians and others... We'll have to punish them severely."
He claimed that Europe was once one of the "core centres of world power" but now everyone in the world laughs at it. However, he clarified, "Now it's a joke. And of course, I am not speaking of all Europe. We know that there are decent Europeans. There are smart Europeans."
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'European leaders unaware'
He said since 1968, the European continent has been "intellectually degrading" and that its own leaders were "unable to understand what is happening".
"They believe that war will never come to their territory. They forgot about the war and that it's terrible," he said. "Now, one of the tasks of Russia in addition to all others is to bring them to senses hopefully without using nuclear weapons," he stated further.
The comments arrive as global tensions rise. The UK has sent a military officer to Greenland. This move comes as Denmark increases its military presence in the Arctic and High North. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the US to take control of the territory.
