President Vladimir Putin recently issued a warning to the West stating that Russia was technically prepared for nuclear conflict and that any deployment of U.S. troops to Ukraine would be viewed as a significant escalation of the conflict.
Speaking just before a March 15-17 election that is expected to secure him another six years in office, Putin clarified that the prospect of nuclear war was not imminent and emphasized that he saw no necessity for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
“In terms of military capabilities, we are undoubtedly prepared,” Putin, 71, stated in response to a query about Russia’s readiness for nuclear war, during an interview with a leading news agency.
Putin emphasized that the U.S. was aware that deploying American troops to Russian territory or Ukraine would be interpreted as intervention. “In the United States, there are enough experts in Russian-American relations and strategic restraint,” Putin remarked adding, “Therefore, I don’t believe that a nuclear confrontation is imminent, but we are prepared for it.”
The conflict in Ukraine has led to the most severe crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, with Putin warning on multiple occasions that the West risks inciting nuclear conflict by deploying troops to Ukraine.
Putin dispatched tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in February 2022, sparking a full-scale war following eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian Ukrainians and Russian proxies.
Regarding the use of nuclear weapons, Putin, Russia’s ultimate authority on nuclear matters, reiterated that their deployment was outlined in the Kremlin’s nuclear doctrine, which defines the circumstances under which Russia might use such weapons. “Weapons are created to be used,” Putin asserted. “We have our own guiding principles.”
Russia and the United States possess the majority of the world’s nuclear arsenal. Putin expressed Russia’s readiness for substantive discussions on Ukraine. “Russia is prepared to engage in negotiations regarding Ukraine, but these negotiations must be grounded in reality, rather than fantasies fueled by psychotropic substances,” said Putin.
