Will use nukes if Russia threatened, warns Putin

Moscow, march 13

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty is threatened, issuing another blunt warning to the West just days before an election in which he’s certain to secure another six-year term.

The Russian leader has repeatedly talked about his readiness to use nuclear weapons since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022. The most recent such threat came in his state-of-the-nation address last month, when he warned the West that deepening its involvement in the fighting in Ukraine would risk a nuclear war. Asked in an interview with Russian state television if he has ever considered using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin responded that there has been no need for that. He also noted that he doesn’t think that the world is heading for a nuclear war, describing US President Joe Biden as a veteran politician who fully understands the possible dangers of escalation. — AP