Putin ally says Russia has 'weapons capable of destroying any adversary, including the United States'

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An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin is warning Monday that Moscow has "modern unique weapons capable of destroying any adversary, including the United States." 

Russia Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev made the fiery remark in the state-run Rossiiskaya Gazeta newspaper, according to Reuters. 

"American politicians trapped by their own propaganda remain confident that, in the event of a direct conflict with Russia, the United States is capable of launching a preventive missile strike, after which Russia will no longer be able to respond. This is short-sighted stupidity, and very dangerous," Patrushev said. 

"Russia is patient and does not intimidate anyone with its military advantage. But it has modern unique weapons capable of destroying any adversary, including the United States, in the event of a threat to its existence", he added. 

RUSSIA’S LATEST NUCLEAR THREAT SLAMMED BY NATO 

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets with Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev in Moscow June 2017. Patrushev is a close ally of Putin, according to Reuters. (Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin/Reuters)

Patrushev’s comments come after NATO on Sunday pushed back at Putin after he announced he will be moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, calling the move "dangerous and irresponsible." 

"NATO is vigilant, and we are closely monitoring the situation. We have not seen any changes in Russia's nuclear posture that would lead us to adjust our own," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said, according to Reuters.  

Similarly, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Sunday said that U.S. defense officials had not seen any indication that Putin has begun to reposition his tactical nuclear weaponry. 

"We've in fact seen no indication he has any intention to use nuclear weapons, period, inside Ukraine," he added in a Sunday interview on CBS' "Face the Nation." 

UKRAINE CALLS FOR EMERGENCY UN MEETING OVER PUTIN’S ‘NUCLEAR BLACKMAIL’ IN BELARUS 

Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev attends a meeting in Moscow on March 15, 2023. He claimed Monday that Moscow has "modern" weapons capable of destroying the U.S. (Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Pool via REUTERS)

Ukraine reacted to the news by calling for an emergency U.N. Security Council and accused Moscow of taking "another provocative step" to undermine "the international security system as a whole." 

On Saturday, Putin drew international ire after he said he would be moving tactical nuclear weapons to his chief regional ally Belarus in response to the U.K.’s decision to supply Ukraine with ammunitions that contain depleted uranium. 

In another swipe at the U.S. last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticized the West’s reaction to Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting Moscow as being "deeply hostile."  

"Undoubtedly, the most important thing is not the West’s reaction after all, but the results of these talks that have taken place. The main thing is the results of the state visit itself," Peskov said, according to the state-owned Tass news agency.  

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping toast during their dinner at The Palace of the Facets in Moscow March 21, 2023. Russia also criticized the West following that state visit. (Pavel Byrkin/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo/AP)

"As for the reaction of the Western countries, it is practically on all issues nothing but unfriendly and deeply hostile, this is not a secret to anyone," he added. "The coverage of this important visit is not an exception."  

Secretary of State Antony Blinken panned Xi’s visit as China providing "diplomatic cover" for the "atrocities" that Russia is committing in Ukraine.   

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.