President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia mentioned the West confronted the prospect of nuclear battle if it intervened extra straight within the conflict in Ukraine, utilizing an annual speech to the nation on Thursday to escalate his threats in opposition to Europe and america.
Mr. Putin mentioned Western nations which can be serving to Ukraine strike Russian territory, and have mentioned the potential of sending troops from NATO nations to Ukraine, “should, ultimately, perceive” that “all this actually threatens a battle with the usage of nuclear weapons, and due to this fact the destruction of civilization.”
“We even have weapons that may strike targets on their territory,” Mr. Putin mentioned. “Do they not perceive this?”
America and different Western governments have largely tried to distance themselves from Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, and feedback by President Emmanuel Macron of France this week about the potential of Western troops being despatched to Ukraine drew fast rebukes from different Western officers who’ve dominated out such deployments.
The Kremlin mentioned this week that dispatching contingents of troops from NATO nations to Ukraine would result in the “inevitability” of a direct battle between Russia and the Western alliance.
“We bear in mind the destiny of those that as soon as despatched their contingents to the territory of our nation,” Mr. Putin mentioned, an obvious reference to the invasions of Hitler and Napoleon. “However now the results for potential interventionists shall be rather more tragic.”
Mr. Putin’s feedback on Thursday got here within the opening minutes of his annual state-of-the-nation speech, a keystone occasion within the Kremlin calendar during which the president declares his plans and priorities in a televised tackle to a whole bunch of officers, lawmakers and different members of Russia’s ruling elite.
This yr, the speech took on added significance due to Russia’s presidential elections scheduled for March 15-17, during which Mr. Putin is operating for an additional six-year time period. He’s assured of profitable, however the Kremlin has mounted a concerted publicity marketing campaign forward of the vote, in search of to make use of it as a stamp of public approval for Mr. Putin’s rule, and by extension, his conflict.
Mr. Putin has repeatedly made veiled nuclear threats in opposition to the West since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years in the past, in search of to leverage Russia’s huge nuclear arsenal to discourage Europe and america from supporting Ukraine.
He had appeared to dial down that rhetoric up to now yr. However on Thursday, he returned to it, coupling his threats with a declare that he was able to resume arms-control negotiations with america — however solely, he prompt, if Washington was prepared to debate the conflict in Ukraine as properly.
“Russia is prepared for a dialogue with america on issues of strategic stability,” Mr. Putin mentioned, a reference to arms-control talks with Washington that had been briefly underway earlier than Russia’s invasion.
In an obvious reference to Ukraine, Mr. Putin added: “This should, naturally, be performed solely as a single advanced, together with all these elements that have an effect on the safety of our nation.”
The White Home, for its half, has rebuffed Mr. Putin’s efforts to place america on the middle of any negotiations in regards to the conflict in Ukraine. American officers have mentioned that america has not and won’t negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.
