Editor's note: Vladimir Bekish is a Russian military-political analyst and an expert in strategic security, with specialization in the Middle East and Africa. The article expresses the personal opinion of the author and may not coincide with the views of News.Az.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports suggesting the United States may use tactical nuclear weapons against Iran as mere speculation.

On December 10, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that an unofficial meeting of the big nuclear five—China, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Russia—had taken place on December 4 in Dubai. This revelation comes at a time when the specter of a nuclear conflict looms larger than it has in decades, raising urgent questions about the state of global security and the prospects for peace in an increasingly fragmented world.

By Tural Heybatov

In a dramatic and controversial move, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy recently suggested that Ukraine might consider reviving its nuclear weapons program if NATO membership remains elusive. This declaration, made during an EU summit and reiterated in a subsequent conversation with incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, underscores Kyiv’s frustration with NATO’s reluctance and its quest for robust security guarantees. However, the implications of such a step are far-reaching, potentially reshaping global nuclear politics and escalating already heightened tensions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan cautioned that the use of nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is a possibility that cannot be ignored.

With Shigeru Ishiba’s appointment as Prime Minister of Japan on October 1, 2024, the country embarks on a new era of foreign policy and military strategy. In his article for the Hudson Institute in Washington, Ishiba called for a discussion on the possibility of deploying U.S. nuclear weapons in the Asia-Pacific region (APR) and creating an Asian equivalent of NATO. This initiative not only shifts the direction of Japanese policy but also raises questions about the nation’s remilitarization and its consequences for the entire region.

Belarus and Russia are on track to sign a security guarantees treaty that will include provisions concerning nuclear weapons, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov stated.

President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against Russia and Belarus as a member of the Union State

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a new nuclear warning to the West, stating that any conventional attack on Russia backed by a nuclear power would be viewed as a combined assault, News.Az reports citing The Washington Times .