Putin Claims That a Nuclear War is Risked by Direct Western Intervention in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning that direct Western participation in the Ukraine conflict may spark a nuclear war during his yearly speech to the country on Thursday. In an increasingly belligerent tone, he declared that Western nations supporting Ukraine and considering NATO troop deployments had to acknowledge that their actions “truly threaten a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and, therefore, the destruction of civilization.” “We also have weapons that can strike targets on their territory,” Putin continued. Do they not realize this? The governments of the United States and other Western nations have made an effort to disassociate themselves from Ukrainian attacks on Russian land. Putin made these comments in the midst of negotiations regarding the potential deployment of Western troops to Ukraine, a notion that was swiftly met with criticism from other Western politicians who rejected it. Russia and the Western alliance might engage in a direct confrontation that is “inevitable” if NATO forces are sent to Ukraine, as the Kremlin had previously threatened. Putin made references to the historical repercussions for those who dispatched soldiers into Russian land during his speech, making allusion to the invasions of Hitler and Napoleon. Ahead of Russia’s presidential elections in March, in which Putin is seeking reelection for a second six-year term, the president’s remarks are noteworthy. The poll is being used by the Kremlin to garner public support for Putin’s rule and his war in Ukraine, even though he is anticipated to win. In an effort to dissuade Europe and the United States from assisting Ukraine, Putin has previously used subdued nuclear threats; his most recent remarks suggest that he is going back to using this rhetoric. Additionally, he indicated that he would be open to resuming talks with the United States on arms control—but only if the conflict in Ukraine was brought up. Putin’s attempt to engage the United States in talks about the Ukrainian issue has been rejected by the White House.