Dominic Raab has dismissed fears that Vladimir Putin will use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine crisis, calling his threats “rhetoric and brinkmanship”.
The Russian president alarmed the world by putting his arsenal on high alert – and, overnight, the Kremlin is reported to have claimed that Ukraine is developing a dirty nuclear bomb.
But, asked if that suggested Moscow is seeking an excuse to use battlefield nuclear weapons, Mr Raab replied: “I think it is rhetoric and brinkmanship.”
The Russian president had “a track record of misinformation and propaganda”, the deputy prime minister said.
The comments came as Mr Raab also rejected calls for the UK to make a more generous offer to some of the one million-plus refugees fleeing the conflict as “the wrong thing to do”.
The UK has refused to waive visa rules – in stark contrast to the EU, which has offered asylum to all Ukrainians crossing its borders for three years.
Mr Raab claimed that extending help beyond family reunions and a sponsorship scheme which has yet to start would mean removing “security checks on those coming from a war zone”,
“We have got to look at our security,” he told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday programme – claiming the public opposed greater generosity.
“Public support has been incredible, very moving, overwhelming. I think you would start to see that fray,” Mr Raab said.
Fiona Hill, a former member of the US National Security Council, is among Russia experts who have warned that Putin is willing to use nuclear weapons.
“Every time you think, ‘No, he wouldn’t, would he?’. Well, yes, he would,” she said recently.
But Mr Raab brushed fears that an “isolated Kremlin” would reach for its most deadly weapons, saying: “No, I think the debate and rhetoric is just that.”
The justice secretary again ruled out imposing a no-fly zone – despite the pleas of Ukraine’s president – which would lead to a “massive escalation” and would fuel Russia’s claims of a war against the West.
“We’re not going to get ourselves into a direct military conflict with Putin because that would be a massive escalation, but also that feeds Putin’s narrative,” Mr Raab said.
“Putin wants to say that he’s actually in a struggle with the west – he’s not.” No-fly zones are “very difficult, very challenging”, he added.
Mr Raab also dismissed Putin’s claim that the sanctions levelled against him and Russia are a declaration of war, calling them “both legally justified but also proportionate.”
He warned Russian commanders and Putin’s close associates that they risk being prosecuted for war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“What they do now, whether they give or whether they follow illegal orders to commit war crimes, they will be held to account for it – and they need to know that,” Mr Raab said.
