President Vladimir Putin says Russia is ready to defend its territory with all available means. He assures that Russia has not gone off the rails.
– We have not gone off the hinges, we realize what nuclear weapons are.
That’s what President Vladimir Putin says in a televised meeting with the Human Rights Council of Russia, a meeting that largely covered the war in Ukraine.
– We have these funds in a more advanced and modern form than any other nuclear country. It is a fact, he says and assures that it is a weapon that Russia does not take lightly, he continues.
He stresses that Russia will defend its territory with all available means. Moreover, Putin adds that the danger of nuclear war is growing, but he blames his arch-rival.
– Russia has not deployed a single tactical nuclear weapon in any other country, unlike the United States.
Comment: New setbacks for Putin
Halfway with the mobilization
The Russian president has offered a gloomy view of the war. He stated that the Russian army could fight in Ukraine for a long time to come.
On the other hand, he sees no reason to mobilize more soldiers right now.
– As for the duration of the special military operation, this can obviously be a long process, says Putin, using his favorite term for the war in Ukraine.
In September and October, Russia is said to have recalled another 300,000 troops for war.
Of these, 150,000 will actually be deployed in Ukraine. Of these, he says 77,000 are in conflict, with the rest performing defensive duties.
According to Putin, the remaining 150,000 will still be in training camps.
He sees it as a hoax
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week who does not believe Vladimir Putin will use nuclear weapons, according to Reuters.
The war in Ukraine has not gone as Putin had predicted. The Ukrainian forces have liberated the strategically important cities of Kherson and Kharkiv and there are small movements on the front lines.
On the Russian side, it has been suggested for several months that it might be appropriate to use nuclear weapons in aggressive warfare.
When Putin announced partial mobilization on Sept. 21, he simultaneously spoke in a manner that was interpreted as a nuclear threat:
– I would like to remind you that our country also has various means of destruction. When the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will clearly use all means at our disposal to protect Russia and our people. This is not a hoax.
Lieutenant Colonel Palle Ydstebø commented on Putin’s repeated threats like this to NTB Wednesday of last week:
– So far, Putin has had several attempts to establish political “red lines” and has made various threats, both direct and underlying, about escalation and reactions if they are exceeded. So far, they haven’t taken those threats beyond the conventional capabilities they have and which are constantly being weakened or worn out.
– They have played the energy card, and now have few hard means of power at the international level. The underlying question then is whether the Russians become desperate enough to take seriously the threat of nuclear weapons, which has been a recurring psychological game since the invasion, he adds.
Ydstebø says he doesn’t know, but still considers it very unlikely.
– Militarily, they won’t achieve much with a tactical nuclear charge. Politically, it’s something else entirely, he says.
