Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday that Russia is technically ready for nuclear war and that if the US sends troops to Ukraine, it will consider it a significant escalation of the war.
Putin, speaking just days before a March 15-17 election that is sure to give him another six years in power, said the scenario of nuclear war was not something “rushed” and that he saw no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
“From a military-technical point of view, of course, we are ready,” said Putin for Rossiya-1 television and RIA news agency, answering the question of whether the country is really ready for a nuclear war.
Putin said the US understands that if Russia deploys US troops on Russian territory – or in Ukraine – it will treat the move as an intervention.
“In the United States there are enough experts in the field of Russian-American relations and in the field of strategic containment,” said Putin.
“Therefore, I don’t think that everyone here is rushing towards it (nuclear confrontation), but we are ready for this,” he added, Fena news agency writes.
