Putin is afraid of NATO's response to use of nuclear weapons

Ukraine’s Office of the President currently believes that Russia's nuclear threats are just blackmail, and Vladimir Putin is wary of NATO's possible reaction to the use of nuclear weapons.

Source: Andrii Yermak, Head of President’s Office, during a conversation with journalists in Kyiv on 21 February, answering questions from European Pravda

Quote from Yermak: "Nuclear blackmail is happening all the time, but we believe that at the moment it is just blackmail... A person sitting at a six-metre table [Yermak here refers to Putin, as the latter is often seen at official meetings, sitting far from other participants] may not be worried about the fate of others, but he is afraid for himself," he said.

Yermak stressed that Putin is afraid of the Alliance's response to the use of nuclear weapons.

"He knows that Russia has no chance in a conflict with NATO," he added.

Background: On 21 February, Putin announced that Russia was suspending its participation in the START treaty but not withdrawing from the agreement, making another attempt at nuclear blackmail.

The Federation Council of Russia [Upper Chamber of the Russian Parliament] voted in favour of a law terminating Russia's participation in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty at a meeting on 22 February.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Russia to reconsider its decision to suspend its participation in the START treaty, and US President Joe Biden called it a "big mistake".

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!