The Pentagon said today that it has not detected any "specific" change in Russia's nuclear posture since Vladimir Putin put his country's deterrent forces on alert.
"We are still watching and monitoring it as closely as possible" the day after that announcement by the Russian president, a senior Pentagon official told reporters."
"I don't think we've seen anything concrete as a result of his decision. At least not yet," he added. This official acknowledged that it is "difficult to know what is behind Putin's order." But "the mere fact of provoking" or "threatening" a "use of nuclear forces" is "inconclusive and represents a significant escalation," the official said, confirming that Moscow has "never" been threatened by NATO.
In addition to Putin's change of stance, his ally Belarus held a referendum on Sunday that abolishes the former Soviet republic's obligation to remain a "nuclear-free zone." Westerners have denounced the decision, which they believe may allow Moscow to transfer nuclear weapons to Belarus, another neighbor of Ukraine that also borders several North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries.
Asked if such moves have been observed, the senior Pentagon official replied "no." He also assured that the Belarusian military does not appear to have entered Ukraine to reinforce Russian forces at this stage."
"We have not seen any indication that Belarusian troops have been put in a combat position to enter Ukraine, and certainly no indication that they have already entered or are entering Ukraine," he said.
"As far as we know, the forces that have entered Ukraine are all Russian," he added, noting that Moscow has now moved into Ukrainian territory "almost 75 percent" of the combat forces it had amassed in recent months on the border.
Source: KYPE
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