On Friday, September 27, Forward Defense Senior Fellow Dr. Robert Soofer was interviewed by host Parikshit Luthra as part of a panel on Indian television network CNBC-TV18 to discuss the change in Russia’s nuclear posture. Dr. Soofer asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear rhetoric is aimed at deterring NATO countries from providing long-range weapons for Ukrainian forces to launch into Russia. “It’s hard to imagine” that Ukrainian long-range strike capability would pose an existential threat to the Russian state, Dr. Soofer noted. The panel, which included Dr. Soofer, former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, and India Foundation Director Major General Dhruv C. Katoch, also discussed a recent Reuters report outlining increasing cooperation between Russia and China to manufacture long-range drones for use in Ukraine.
Forward Defense develops and shapes policy solutions that build US military power to deter war and secure the future.