Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia might use nuclear weapons to carry out attacks on the country he leads. This was conveyed in an interview with CNN International, Saturday (16/4/2022).
On that occasion, Zelensky said Russian President Vladimir Putin could switch to nuclear or chemical weapons. According to him, this is because Putin no longer respects the lives of Ukrainian citizens.
“It’s not just me. The whole world, all countries should be worried because it’s not real information, but it could be the truth. Chemical weapons, they have to do it, they can do it, for them people’s lives, nothing. That’s why,” Zelensky said.
“We have to think not to be afraid, not to be afraid but be prepared. But that’s not a question for Ukraine, but I think for the whole world as well.”
Estimates regarding the use of nuclear weapons by Russia had previously been warned by US intelligence. CIA Director Bill Burns said Thursday that the CIA is watching “very closely” for the possibility.
He said that this potential arose because Putin felt that he had given up on the progress of his troops in Ukraine. Even so, Burns said there was no indication that Russia was preparing to take such a step.
“Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks they have faced so far militarily, none of us can underestimate the threat posed by the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or low-level nuclear weapons,” he said.
Russia sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine on February 24 in what it called a special operation to reduce the military capabilities of its southern neighbor and root out what it called dangerous nationalists like the Nazis.
So far, Moscow has decided to focus its attacks on the Eastern region of its neighboring country, in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Both areas are known to be territories that Russia claims as independent and not under Kyiv sovereignty.
(pgr / pgr)
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