Vladimir Putin said ‘we haven’t gone crazy’ when asked if he could use nuclear weapons in Ukraine – but did not rule out a possible first strike if threatened.
The Russian president described weapons as a deterrent, but reiterated that his country would use “all means at its disposal” to defend its interests if “peaceful means” were to fail.
This is the latest in a series of statements since the start of the war in which he kept the nuclear option open.
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“We haven’t gone mad. We fully understand what nuclear weapons are,” Mr Putin said a member of the Presidential Human Rights Council in televised comments.
“We have them, and they are more advanced and technologically advanced than any other nuclear power,” he said.
“We are not going to wield these weapons like a razor that travels the world, but we naturally go from their existence.
“It’s a deterrent, not a factor causing the conflict to escalate.”
The president nevertheless refused to rule out a theoretical first strike, saying it could prevent Russia from defending itself.
He said Russia had a “launch on warning” doctrine, according to which Russia would fire nuclear weapons if targeted by an imminent nuclear attack – or by a conventional attack that threatened its existence.
“If he does not use it in any case the first, it means that he will not be the second to use it either, because the possibility of using it in the event of a nuclear strike on our territory will be severely limited” , he added. said the president.
Many Western countries have previously criticized Putin’s nuclear remarks as dangerous.
However, he claimed on Wednesday he was provoked by former British Prime Minister Liz Truss when she spoke of her own desire to use nuclear weapons.
He appeared to refer to Ms Truss’ comments in August in which she said at an election campaign event for the Conservatives that she would be ‘ready’ to use WMDs if necessary.
“I had to point out some things in response,” Mr Putin said.
“His comments went largely unnoticed, but they immediately underscored our statements and used them to scare the world.”
His remarks echoed those of October, when he said Ms Truss was ‘a bit overwhelmed’ when she raised concerns about Russia’s nuclear capability in a speech at the UN.
Mr Putin also spoke about the state of the war in Ukraine, where it has lost a lot of ground in recent months, and admitted it is likely to be a ‘long process’ – suggesting Russia does not have the intention to abandon the conflict anytime soon.
He also tried to quell rumors of a second mobilization next year, saying there was no need for an additional call.
The Russian president said that of the 300,000 reservists recruited, about half had been sent to the area of what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Some 77,000 were in combat units and the rest performed defensive duties, he said.
Rumors have swirled among Russian opposition politicians and major pro-war Telegram channels of a second wave early next year.
