Putin said if the United States conducted nuclear tests, Russia might do the same (Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his country is prepared militarily and technically for a nuclear war, indicating that Moscow will deploy its forces on the borders of Finland after it joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Putin explained - in an interview with official media - that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if the state's existence is threatened, as he put it.
He pointed out that in the United States there are enough specialists in the field of Russian-American relations and in the field of strategic restraint, so I do not think that everything is pushing towards it (nuclear confrontation), but we are ready for that.”
He reiterated that the use of nuclear weapons is stipulated in the Kremlin's nuclear doctrine, and its policy determines the circumstances under which Russia may use its weapons.
“Weapons exist in order to be used,” Putin said. “We have our own principles in this context.”
He added that if the United States conducted nuclear tests, Russia might do the same.
War in Ukraine
Regarding the war in Ukraine, the Russian President said that if American forces appear in Ukraine, Moscow will consider them foreign forces.
He pointed out that if Poland introduces forces into Ukraine, these forces will not leave after that, as he put it.
However, Putin said Russia has never faced a need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, where the conflict has been raging since February 2022.
On the other hand, Putin said that Finland and Sweden joining NATO is a "meaningless step" and that Russia will deploy forces and destruction systems on the Finnish border after Finland joins the alliance.
He added, "We did not have forces there (on the Finnish border), and now they will be there. There were no destruction systems there, and now they will be deployed."
Source: Al Jazeera + Reuters