Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine has not arisen, and he hopes it won’t be necessary, in an interview aired on Russian State television.
“We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires,” Putin said, expressing confidence in Russia’s military capabilities.
Putin claimed Russia didn’t launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, stating, “The country was not ready for such a frontal confrontation with the entire collective West.”
“sincerely sought to solve the problem of Donbas by peaceful means,” and he believes reconciliation with Ukraine is “inevitable,” he added.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has lasted three years without significant progress, with recent diplomatic efforts, including a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former US President Donald Trump, ending in disarray due to reported altercations.
Putin’s comments on nuclear weapons come amid ongoing tensions, with Ukraine previously possessing nuclear weapons that were transferred to Russia in 1994 under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.