At the battle of Stirling Bridge, 11 September 1297, the movie Braveheart has William Wallace provoking the English to battle, saying "Here are Scotland's terms. Lower your flags, and march straight back to England, stopping at every home to beg forgiveness for 100 years of theft, rape, and murder. Do that and your men shall live. Do it not, and every one of you will die today. ... Before we let you leave, your commander must cross that field, present himself before this army, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own ass."

Putin's Nuclear Crisis - November 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin ratified Moscow's withdrawal from an international treaty banning nuclear weapons testing. Moscow cited the lack of US ratification of the treaty as the reason for its withdrawal. The measure passed both houses of parliament last month.

Russia officially launched its process of withdrawal from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) last month, pointing out that the United States has signed but not ratified the agreement. Despite not having ratified the treaty, Washington has in practice complied with the test ban since the 1990s. Putin has said Russia's withdrawal from the treaty would "mirror" the US position.

In addition to the US, the treaty has not been ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt. The CTBT was adopted in 1996 to limit the further development of nuclear weapons. Putin has claimed that some experts argue for the necessity of conducting nuclear tests but said that he had not formed an opinion on the issue. However, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last month that it will only test nuclear weapons again if the US does the same.

Putin, is trying in every way to distract the West from the war in Ukraine. By creating risks of nuclear proliferation to countries sponsoring terrorism, he is trying to blackmail the West, thereby creating the ground for negotiations. Russian opposition politician and public figure Dmytro Gudkov expressed this opinion November 2, on the air of FREEDOM TV channel.

“Putin is creating new problems for the West today in order to distract from the war with Ukraine. For Ukraine, this war is the main agenda, but one must understand that for America and Europe, the appearance of nuclear weapons in the same Iran is much more dangerous. Because they believe that they will be able to negotiate with Russia, but it is almost impossible to negotiate with terrorists or those who finance terrorism. Putin, creating these risks, blackmailing with the spread of nuclear weapons, is creating a new negotiating position for himself with the West,” he said. Gudkov emphasized that it is impossible to compromise with Putin, because he absolutely does not keep his word and will try to extract the maximum benefit for himself from any situation.

“The most important thing is to understand that compromises with Putin will be perceived by him as weakness. If the West starts negotiating or gives in, it means that Putin will demand much more, he will absolutely not keep his word. Therefore, there must be a tough position and political will in order to effectively fight against such a regime,” he stated.

Russia's decision today to revoke its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) jeopardizes the entire international architecture of nuclear non-proliferation and arms control and poses threats to global stability. That's according to a statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union. "Today, Russia has signed into national law the revocation of its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). This takes place in the context of its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and after months of irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and threats, some specifically pointing at a resumption of nuclear tests. The European Union deeply deplores this decision by Russia," the document reads.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell recalled that all EU member states have ratified the CTBT and have been working towards its strengthening and entry into force for many years. The Treaty is an instrument of crucial importance to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. It has established a powerful norm against nuclear testing that is respected worldwide. It is crucial for international peace and security that all States fully observe the moratorium on nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosion, and refrain from any action contrary to the object and purpose of the Treaty.

According to the statement, eight new countries have ratified the CTBT since the 2021 Article XIV Conference, making significant progress towards the Treaty's universalization. Despite having been ratified by 178 States, the CTBT has not entered into force because of the absence of ratification by eight countries out of an original list of 44 in its Annex 2. As part of this list, Russia's unjustifiable intent to revoke its ratification of the Treaty constitutes a serious setback in Russia’s commitment towards the international security architecture that undermines the ongoing non-proliferation and disarmament efforts, Borrell said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concerns, calling it an "irresponsibility" that represents Moscow's "misguided efforts" to heighten nuclear risks and raise tensions as it pursues its war against Ukraine. He also warned that Russia's actions will only serve to set back confidence in international arms control.

South Korea expressed "deep regret and disappointment" over Russia's withdrawal of its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. In a statement on 03 November 2023, a foreign ministry spokesperson urged Russia to reconsider.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has ruled out the possibility of a new arms control deal with the West, saying NATO is unable to negotiate. “Only when life forces them to return to constructive and realistic positions could appropriate dialogue be revived as part of the effort to shape a new European security system,” it said.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that Russia's new nuclear-powered submarine "Emperor Alexander III" successfully test-fired the "Bulava" ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The Ministry of Defense issued a statement on the Telegram messaging application on 05 November 2023, saying that the launch of the ballistic missile was the final test phase of the Imperial Alexander III (Imperator Alexander III), and a decision would be made later on whether to allow the cruiser to join the navy.

For the first time in history, Russia has overtaken its competitors in the field of nuclear missile weapons, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said 05 November 2023. The top security official, speaking at the 'Knowledge' track of the International Russia EXPO Forum and Exhibition at the All-Russian Exhibition Center (VDNKh) in Moscow, emphasized that the implementation of Russia's National Security Strategy has contributed to the preservation of internal stability, the growth of Russia's economic, political, military, and spiritual potential.

"For the first time in the entire history of nuclear missile weaponry, our country has overtaken its competitors in this field and has become the possessor of unique strategic weapons, including hypersonic weapons, which will ensure security for decades to come," Patrushev stressed.

In the recent tests, ‘Bulava’ and ‘Yars’ intercontinental nuclear missiles went off course and failed to fulfill the objective. These tests had been demonstratively conducted to show off ‘the other way’ Russia has about world nuclear security.

The Russian government ordered the termination of the agreement with Japan on cooperation in the field of eliminating nuclear weapons subject to reduction in Russia; the corresponding document was posted on the website of the official publication of legal acts. “In accordance with Article 37 of the Federal Law “On International Treaties of the Russian Federation,” terminate the agreement between the government of Russia and the government of Japan on cooperation in order to assist in the elimination of nuclear weapons subject to reduction in Russia and the creation of a committee for cooperation for these purposes,” it says at disposal. The agreement was signed in Tokyo on October 13, 1993.

As was repeatedly emphasized on Smolensk Square, after the start of the special operation, Tokyo is pursuing an openly hostile course towards Russia. Diplomats pointed to the introduction of sanctions against Moscow, the transfer of weapons to Kiev, the incitement of Russophobic sentiments in Japanese society and the increase in military activity of Japan, the United States and NATO near the Far Eastern borders of Russia.

The Foreign Ministry noted that in such conditions, the Russian side does not see the opportunity to continue the previously held dialogue with Tokyo on the preparation of a peace treaty, the purpose of which was to lay the foundation for long-term good neighborly relations. Moscow warned that it would continue to react harshly to new confrontational attacks by Japan.

Russia's rocket forces loaded an intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with the nuclear-capable "Avangard" hypersonic glide vehicle into a launch silo in southern Russia, according to a defence ministry TV channel broadcast 16 November 2023. President Vladimir Putin announced the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle in 2018, saying it was a response to United States development of a new generation of weapons and a US missile defence system that it could penetrate. The Avangard glide vehicle detaches from the rocket as it approaches its target. It is able to manoeuvre sharply outside the trajectory of the rocket at hypersonic speeds of up to 27 times the speed of sound (about 21,000 miles per hour or 34,000 kilometres per hour).