Russia will use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty is threatened - Putin
UKRAINSKA PRAVDA — FRIDAY, 17 JUNE 2022, 18:53
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia is not threatening the world with nuclear weapons, but warns that it is ready to use them in the event of a threat to [Russia’s] sovereignty.
Source: Putin's speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum
Quote from Putin: "One irresponsible politician would blurt something out, then another - at a very high level, by the way, at the level of, say, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the top officials there are holding forth on this subject.
And we’re supposed to say nothing? We answer accordingly. As soon as we answer, [everyone] latches onto that: ‘Look, Russia’s issuing threats!’ We are not threatening! But everyone needs to know that we have it and we will use it if necessary to protect our sovereignty."
Background:
- Maria Zakharova, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, suggested on 12 June that Russia could use nuclear weapons in Poland.
- Vyacheslav Volodin, the head of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, stated that a possible nuclear conflict would destroy the European continent if nuclear weapons are returned to Ukraine.
- US President Joe Biden has warned that Russia would face extremely severe consequences if it used nuclear weapons.
- Dmitry Rogozin, director of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, "joked" that the Kremlin could launch a nuclear strike on Sweden and Finland if the two countries join NATO.
