Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council, issued a new nuclear warning to Ukraine and the West on Tuesday, as Russia began publishing the results of referendums it conducted in preparation for the annexation of four Ukrainian regions.
The nuclear warning by Medvedev, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is one of several that Putin and his aides have issued in recent weeks.
But Medvedev's warning differed from previous warnings in that he predicted for the first time that NATO would not risk a nuclear war and engage directly in Ukraine's war even if Moscow hit Ukraine with nuclear weapons.
"I believe that NATO will not directly intervene in the conflict, even in this scenario, demagogues across the ocean and in Europe will not die in a nuclear catastrophe," Medvedev said in a post on Telegram.
Analysts say the warnings are intended to deter Ukraine and the West by hinting at a willingness to use tactical nuclear weapons to defend the annexed territories, while Russian forces have been facing powerful Ukrainian counterattacks for weeks.
NATO warns
Meanwhile, NATO said on Tuesday that Russia's use of nuclear weapons was unacceptable and would have serious consequences, after an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin issued another nuclear warning to Ukraine and the West over the use of such weapons.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg added, "Any use of nuclear weapons is absolutely unacceptable and will completely change the nature of the conflict. Russia must know that a nuclear war cannot be won and should never be fought."
"When we see this kind of nuclear rhetoric coming out over and over again from Russia, from President (Vladimir) Putin, it's something we should take very seriously, and so we're conveying a clear message that this will have serious consequences for Russia," Stoltenberg said.
On the other hand, the American newspaper, Politico, quoted unnamed officials that Washington and its allies are monitoring any indications that Russia may use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.