Latest news with #HannoPevkur
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Putin's mouthpiece issues WW3 threat after promise over UK's nuke-capable jets
Vladimir Putin's top spokesman has reacted furiously after Estonia said it was open to hosting RAF warplanes with nuclear capability - while one Kremlin mouthpiece said the move would 'end badly' Russia has issued a new threat to NATO after one of Britain's allies said it was 'ready' to host RAF warplanes capable of carrying tactical nuclear bombs. In the security defence review unveiled this week by Keir Starmer, it was announced the RAF will be equipped with twelve new F-35A fifth-generation aircraft by 2030, which will be "available to fly NATO's nuclear mission in a crisis". Estonia's defence minister Hanno Pevkur said today that his country would "naturally" be prepared to host some of the jets - sparking a furious reaction from Vladimir Putin 's spokesman, who was asked by Russian media if such a move would be perceived as a threat to Moscow. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's top press secretary, said: "A direct one. Of course… a direct danger." Estonia is a NATO member and shares a 183-mile land border with Russia, and around 1,000 British troops are permanently based in the Baltic state. Peskov added: 'The leaders of the Baltic countries express a lot of absurd ideas. One can only express regret, that's all.' Russia's extensive propaganda operation has also honed in on the Estonian minister's comments, and even appeared to threaten the country with invasion. One presenter from Kremlin-linked Tsargrad TV warned: 'It's strange that Tallinn doesn't grasp the obvious. 'Such moves near Russia's borders end very badly. And there's no need to look far for an example — just look at where such 'games' have led Ukraine.' Pro-Kremlin military blogger Aleksei Zhivov warned an F‑35A deployment could trigger war, accusing Estonia and NATO of inciting Putin. He said: 'Given that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are located uncomfortably close to Russia's most important regions, this poses an existential threat to our country' 'This should be viewed appropriately — as part of Europe's preparations for a major war with Russia. At some point, the Baltics' task will be to provoke Russia into launching a military operation in the region.' Peskov was speaking in Belarus, a Russian ally which borders Baltic states Lithuania and Latvia, and also another NATO state Poland. Belarus has been supplied with nuclear weapons by Putin. A dozen new RAF F‑35A fighters capable of carrying US B61‑12 nuclear gravity bombs are scheduled to enter service by 2030 at RAF Marham in Norfolk - but there has been no suggestion that they would be based in Estonia. Britain's existing F-35 jets have previously been sent on short rotational deployments to Estonia for "NATO enhanced Vigilance Activity", but are not based there permanently. Suggesting today that he would be open to hosting newer versions of the planes with enhanced nuclear capability, Estonia's Hanno Pevkur said: 'F-35s have already been in Estonia, and will soon return as part of the rotational mission. 'If some of them, regardless of the country, also have dual-use nuclear weapons capability, this does not change our position on hosting the F-35. Of course, we are ready to host allies.'
Russia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kremlin responds to prospect of NATO nuclear-capable jets on Russian border
Russia sees Estonia's willingness to host nuclear-capable NATO aircraft as a direct threat to its security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. Responding to recent remarks made by Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur welcoming such deployments, Peskov warned that the presence of F-35 fighter jets in the Baltic region would be considered a serious provocation. He criticized Tallinn's stance as 'absurd,' adding that relations with Moscow 'can hardly get any worse.' Pevkur told local media that F-35s, which are capable of being equipped with nuclear weapons, 'have already been in Estonia and will soon return again in rotation,' and expressed the country's readiness to accommodate allied forces using such aircraft. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have hosted NATO fighter rotations since joining the military bloc in 2004. Their airspace is patrolled by allied aircraft due to limited domestic capabilities. NATO's eastern expansion has long been a point of contention for Russia, which accuses the West of breaking post-Cold War assurances. During this week's NATO summit in The Hague, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed the planned purchase of at least 12 F-35A jets, thus restoring the UK's airborne nuclear deterrent for the first time since the 1990s. Although the US, UK, and France are the only official nuclear powers within NATO, American nuclear weapons remain stationed in several non-nuclear allied countries. Moscow claims that US-led training of NATO pilots for nuclear missions violates the spirit of non-proliferation agreements. Citing the need to counter rising threats from NATO near its borders, Russia deployed tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus and held joint drills with Belarusian forces last year.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kremlin says Estonia's readiness to host nuclear-capable NATO jets threatens Russia
MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Friday that Estonia's stated readiness to host NATO allies' U.S.-made F-35A stealth jets, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, posed a direct threat to Moscow. Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Postimees news outlet on Thursday that Estonia - which borders Russia and is a rotating base for NATO jets tasked with protecting Baltic airspace - was ready to host nuclear-capable jets if necessary. "If some of them, regardless of their country of origin, have a dual-use capability to carry nuclear weapons it doesn't affect our position on hosting F-35s in any way," the outlet cited him as saying. "Of course we are ready to host our allies." Pevkur was speaking after Britain, a NATO member, announced it would buy at least 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads and that they would join NATO's airborne nuclear mission. Asked about Pevkur's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such a move would be an obvious threat to Russia. "Of course it would be an immediate danger," Peskov told a journalist from Russia's Life news outlet. He said the statement was one of many "absurd thoughts" voiced by politicians in the Baltic region, which comprises Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. "We have practically no relations with the Baltic republics because it is very difficult to make them worse," he said.
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Kremlin says Estonia's readiness to host nuclear-capable NATO jets threatens Russia
Pevkur said Estonia was ready to host nuclear-capable jets if necessaryPeskov said such a move would be an obvious threat to RussiaMOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Friday that Estonia's stated readiness to host NATO allies' U.S.-made F-35A stealth jets, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, posed a direct threat to Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Postimees news outlet on Thursday that Estonia - which borders Russia and is a rotating base for NATO jets tasked with protecting Baltic airspace - was ready to host nuclear-capable jets if necessary."If some of them, regardless of their country of origin, have a dual-use capability to carry nuclear weapons it doesn't affect our position on hosting F-35s in any way," the outlet cited him as saying."Of course we are ready to host our allies."Pevkur was speaking after Britain, a NATO member, announced it would buy at least 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads and that they would join NATO's airborne nuclear about Pevkur's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such a move would be an obvious threat to Russia."Of course it would be an immediate danger," Peskov told a journalist from Russia's Life news outlet. He said the statement was one of many "absurd thoughts" voiced by politicians in the Baltic region, which comprises Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania."We have practically no relations with the Baltic republics because it is very difficult to make them worse," he said.
Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Kremlin says Estonia's readiness to host nuclear-capable NATO jets threatens Russia
MOSCOW, June 27 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that Estonia's stated readiness to host NATO allies' U.S.-made F-35A stealth jets, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, posed a direct threat to Moscow. Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur told the Postimees news outlet on Thursday that Estonia - which borders Russia and is a rotating base for NATO jets tasked with protecting Baltic airspace - was ready to host nuclear-capable jets if necessary. "If some of them, regardless of their country of origin, have a dual-use capability to carry nuclear weapons it doesn't affect our position on hosting F-35s in any way," the outlet cited him as saying. "Of course we are ready to host our allies." Pevkur was speaking after Britain, a NATO member, announced it would buy at least 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads and that they would join NATO's airborne nuclear mission. Asked about Pevkur's comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such a move would be an obvious threat to Russia. "Of course it would be an immediate danger," Peskov told a journalist from Russia's Life news outlet. He said the statement was one of many "absurd thoughts" voiced by politicians in the Baltic region, which comprises Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. "We have practically no relations with the Baltic republics because it is very difficult to make them worse," he said.
