Putin Attends Funeral with 'Nuclear Briefcase'... Threatening "Ready to Strike Anytime"?

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the funeral of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, held on the 8th (local time) at the rotunda of the Moscow State Duma.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Foreign media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared with a bodyguard carrying a nuclear briefcase.

On the 9th (local time), according to The Times of the UK and others, President Putin attended the funeral of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, the day before.

At that time, foreign media reported that behind President Putin, who was laying a wreath, a bodyguard was seen carrying a bag presumed to be the 'Cheget'.

The Cheget refers to the nuclear briefcase that the Russian president has carried since the Soviet era. It is known to contain a button to remotely launch missiles equipped with nuclear weapons and nuclear attack codes.

Foreign media suggested that President Putin, who has been in a stalemate since the invasion of Ukraine, appeared with the nuclear briefcase to demonstrate that he can use nuclear weapons at any time.

Some analysts also pointed out that when President Putin visited the funeral hall, other mourners were blocked from approaching, suggesting that this was a precaution against possible assassination threats.

Meanwhile, Western countries including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have expressed concerns that Russia, which is struggling after the invasion of Ukraine, might resort to nuclear attacks to escape the situation.

In this regard, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on the 28th of last month, "Our security concept specifies that nuclear weapons can only be used when there is a threat to Russia's existence, and that nuclear weapons will be used to eliminate that threat."

This statement implies that Russia will not simply use nuclear weapons to gain an advantage in the Ukraine war.

However, Sergey Karaganov, honorary chairman of the Russian Foreign and Defense Policy Council and a close aide to President Putin, indicated that there is a possibility of nuclear weapon use if the war situation worsens.

In an interview with the British weekly New Statesman on the 3rd, Chairman Karaganov repeatedly mentioned that the crisis could escalate in situations where Russia faces existential threats. When asked whether this includes the use of nuclear weapons or war outside Ukrainian territory, he replied, "It cannot be ruled out."