…but no-one seems to have noticed – or may have interpreted the unmistakable summary dismissal as some bland and totally incorrect but more polite alternative.
During the moderator’s question time following what was Mr Putin’s longest ever, and perhaps most important speech, at this year’s SPIEF (I point out specifically that this was not part of the speech but in answer afterwards to a rather obtuse question on the use of nuclear weapons), the President was asked “How do you feel about that?”
His answer, and I quote the transcripted version, in full:
Vladimir Putin: Negative. This use of nuclear weapons is certainly theoretically possible. For Russia, this is possible if there is a threat to our territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty, and the existence of the Russian state. Nuclear weapons are created to ensure our security in the broadest sense of the word and the existence of the Russian state.
But we, firstly, do not have such a need, and secondly, the very factor of reasoning on this topic already reduces the possibility of lowering the threshold for the use of weapons. This is the first part.
The second is that we have more such weapons than the NATO countries. They are aware of this and all the time they are trying to persuade us to start negotiations on a reduction. Fuck them, you know? As we have in the people say. (Laughter) Because, in the broadcloth language of economic terms, this is our competitive advantage.
As you know, we negotiated with our Union state – President Lukashenko – that we would move some of these tactical nuclear weapons to Belarusian territory. It happened. The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus, but only the first ones. This is the first part. But until the end of the summer, until the end of the year, we will complete this work completely.
This is an element of deterrence, so that everyone who thinks about inflicting a strategic defeat on us does not forget about this circumstance.
For reference see online link below. All emphasis is mine.
Vladimir Putin’s speech at the SPIEF 2023 plenary session. Transcript – Rossiyskaya Gazeta – June 16, 2023
Or, if you don’t have time to read such an extensive document, or if it is no longer available, here is a synopsis: Vladimir Putin spoke at the SPIEF. The main theses of the president on new measures in the economy and the conflict with Ukraine – Rossiyskaya Gazeta – June 17, 2023
Mr Putin may have used the vernacular of his people to emphasize the point – causing some mirth among the audience – but I am sure he was deadly serious. These are not joking matters, though the US authorities, having no detectable conscience or ability to properly discern the differences in meaning, or in fact to see – and contemplate – the clearly foreseeable consequences of any related decisions they may make regarding any form of activation on the subject.
Allow me to complete the story by including here what immediately occurred subsequent to that strong response. The Moderator of the session followed up with the question to Mr Putin…
“But Mr Putin, as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, you know better than I do that in order for deterrence to be effective, the enemy must at least allow for the possibility that if deterrence does not work, you will do what the circumstances require. Is this the correct interpretation?”
At which point, President Putin turned aside to the President of Algeria (Mr Tebbun, who was seated alongside and who also presented his own speech to the session)
Vladimir Putin: Mr. President, what is he calling me to do or forcing me to do? To what end? What should I say? To scare the whole world? Why would we want to scare the whole world?
I have already said that the use of extreme measures is possible if there is a threat to Russian statehood. And in this case, of course, we will use all the forces and means at the disposal of the Russian state, there is no doubt about that.
But let me remind you that the only country in the world that has used nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear State is the United States of America, which has twice attacked the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They felt that they had the right to do so. This is a precedent set by the United States.
Emphasis again mine
There. I have given the whole context of this exchange, which will doubtless be interpreted in many different ways by many commentators to skew the meaning whichever way they see fit. To my mind it is explicit language. The meaning unmistakable in its clarity. It means nothing more than what was actually said. And nothing less.
In the end it was just one point among many great points which bear on the future of humanity. And it was not a point that was raised by the President of the Russian Federation, but on behalf of those in other nations and organisations for which, or whom, it has obvious concerns outside of those matters which should most concern global leaders at this important juncture of our history.
Fuck them, Mr Putin. Fuck them indeed. They are beyond contempt and unworthy of any other consideration or concern. Stay the course. Rid the world of these vermin and – with strong alliances around you – lead our world to a more noble future than they could ever envisage.
Not Something Else 
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