Putin threatens to use nuclear weapons if West tries to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has openly brandished the threat of using nuclear weapons against the western powers if they try to stop Russian invasion of Ukraine. The threat has escalated concern among other countries as the use of nuclear weapons could lead to the most massive destruction the world has ever seen. Waving the nuclear sword in confrontation with the West, Putin, in his address on Thursday, said, "As for military affairs, even after the dissolution of the USSR and losing a considerable part of its capabilities, today’s Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states."  

"Moreover, it has a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons. In this context, there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should he directly attack our country," he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that, by merely suggesting a nuclear response against the western powers and Ukraine, Putin has tried to convey that the current fighting in Ukraine might eventually take a dreadful turn, resulting in an atomic war between Washington and Moscow. Notably, since 1945, no country has used nuclear weapons, and in recent years, if a nuclear weapon was spoken of at all, it was usually in the context of stopping its proliferation to countries like North Korea and Iran.

Russia-Ukraine War

After Russian President Vladimir Putin declared war against Ukraine on Thursday morning, Kyiv has claimed that Russian forces have made almost 200 attacks since declaring war, which has killed more than 130 Ukrainians and destroyed over 83 military facilities, including 11 Ukrainian airbases. On the other hand, Ukraine's military forces destroyed 30 tanks, 5 planes, and 6 helicopters belonging to Russia on the first day of fighting. However, Russia has denied Kyiv's claim while confirming that the country has lost a Su-25 attack jet due to a "pilot error." Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is making efforts to talk to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a bid to stop the ongoing war. "Russia will have to talk to us sooner or later about how to end hostilities and stop this invasion. The sooner the conversation begins, the smaller Russia’s losses will be. " Zelensky also added that until the attacks stop, "we will be defending our country until then."

(Image: AP)

(With Inputs from AP)