Putin's Stark Warning: Russia Ready For Nuclear War, Urges Restraint

In the latest remark by President Vladimir Putin, he stated that Russia remains in a state of combat readiness and is fully prepared for a nuclear war, although "everything is not rushing to it" at present, on March 13.

In an interview with state media, it was mentioned by Putin, who launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is nearly certain to win the March 15 to 17 presidential election, that Russia would be ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty was threatened.

Putin: Russia Prepared For Nuclear War, Ready To Act

"From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready," Putin stated to Rossiya-1 television and news agency RIA in response to a question on whether the country was ready for a nuclear war. It was emphasized by Putin that the United States understands that if American troops are deployed on Russian territory - or to Ukraine - Russia would treat the move as an intervention, as reported by Reuters.

"(In the United States) there are enough specialists in the field of Russian-American relations and in the field of strategic restraint," Putin said, adding, "Therefore, I don't think that here everything is rushing to it (nuclear confrontation), but we are ready for this."

The Kremlin's nuclear doctrine was reiterated by Putin, stating that the use of nuclear weapons was outlined in the Kremlin's nuclear doctrine, its policy setting out the circumstances in which Russia might use its weapons. "Weapons exist in order to use them," Putin stated. "We have our own principles."

It was added in the wide-ranging interview by Putin that if the United States conducted nuclear tests, Russia might do the same. "It's not necessary ... we still need to think about it, but I don't rule out that we can do the same," as reported by Reuters.

However, it was stated by Putin that Russia had never faced a need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, where the conflict has raged since February 2022. "Why do we need to use weapons of mass destruction? There has never been such a need."