Canada's UN ambassador calls Putin's nuclear alert a 'tactic'

Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to put nuclear deterrent forces on high alert is a “tactic” intended to encourage the West to “back off.”

Speaking to MPs at the House foreign affairs committee on Monday, Rae called the move “deeply irrational” and said it should be seen for what it is.

“It’s important for us not to be scared off by this tactic because I think it is a tactic,” said Rae. “It’s really important not to give into what it’s intended to do. It’s intended to make us all back off.”

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Putin on Sunday told his top defence and military officials to put nuclear forces in a “special regime of combat duty,” but it was not immediately clear how that might have changed the status of Russian nuclear forces, if at all.

Russia, like the United States, keeps its land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, on a high state of readiness at all times, and it is believed that Russian submarine-based nuclear missiles, like America’s, are similarly postured.

Putin indicated he was responding to economic sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western nations in recent days for his invasion of Ukraine, as well as “aggressive statements regarding our country,” which he did not further explain.

Rae said none of his colleagues at the United Nations are getting “turned away by this.”

“I think it’s important to stay resolute, to stay strong and to stay determined.”

In January, Russia joined the four other global nuclear powers – the U.S, China, France, and the U.K. – to indicate a nuclear war can’t be won and shouldn’t be fought.

Rae said Russia’s sudden about-face on the matter is confounding.

“This took place in January, 2022. We’re not talking about five years ago, we’re talking about six or seven weeks ago. So when President Putin turns around and makes the announcement that he made yesterday, what are we to make of it? I think it’s deeply irrational,” he said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly called the nuclear alert order “madness” while speaking to reporters following a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting on Monday.

Later in the day, Defence Minister Anita Anand said Putin’s language around nuclear use is “highly, highly irresponsible.”

Asked whether the heightened threat changes the posture of the Canadian Armed Forces members either in Eastern Europe or the 3,400 in Canada on standby to assist with the NATO Response Force, Anand said only that Canada will act in concert with allies.

“We also stand ready, of course, with our NATO allies if there were to be a breach and an occasion to invoke Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which states essentially, that an attack on one is an attack on all,” she said. “We as a country are deeply committed to deterrence and defence.”

Article 5 only applies to NATO members, of which Ukraine is not, but many of its neighbours are.

In collaboration with allies, the Canadian government has announced a series of punishing financial sanction packages levied against Russia in the past week.

Ottawa is also sending military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.