As the war in Ukraine nears the 1,000-day mark, Sergei Karaganov, one of Putin’s influential advisors, has reignited global fears with a bold statement advocating for Russia’s use of nuclear weapons.
A Gift From God
Known as the “Apocalypse Professor,” Karaganov recently declared that Russia’s nuclear arsenal is a “gift from God,” handed down through the efforts of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who developed the atomic bomb, and that it “must be used.”
Karaganov, who leads Russia’s Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, stated that possessing nuclear weapons is an act of divine intervention, saying:
“God has given us these weapons for self-salvation, and we should not anger Him by failing to use them.”
His comments follow a week in which Putin conducted a simulated nuclear drill, launching multiple missiles as a show of power to the West, according to Ziare.
Putin is Saving the World
According to Karaganov, refraining from using nuclear arms would be a “sin against the Soviet and Russian people” who sacrificed to build Russia’s nuclear capabilities.
In a twist on history, he credited divine intervention for preventing Germany from developing nuclear weapons first, claiming that God helped Russia obtain them with the help of Oppenheimer and Soviet spy Klaus Fuchs, who provided Moscow with nuclear secrets.
While J. Robert Oppenheimer later voiced deep moral concerns about nuclear weaponry, Karaganov sees their use as essential.
He has publicly maintained that Putin’s mission is not only to win the war in Ukraine but to “save the world.” Speaking to Putin, he reportedly said, “Your task is not just to win but to save a world slipping into world war.”
Karaganov’s rhetoric targets the West, framing Ukraine as a proxy.
“We are not fighting the Ukrainians,” he said, describing them as victims manipulated by corrupt elites and Western powers. “We must wake the West up and force it to retreat,” he added, maintaining that Russia’s true goal lies beyond the immediate conflict in Ukraine.
