Putin suggests possibility of nuclear tests “if US does so”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated a potential willingness to conduct nuclear weapon tests in response to similar actions by the United States. 

 

In remarks reported by Russia 1, a state-owned media outlet, Putin stated, “If they conduct such a test – I don’t rule it out, it’s not necessary, whether we need it or not, we still need to think about it – but I don’t rule out that we can do the same.” 

 

The comments were made in an interview with Dmitry Kiselyov, the head of the Ria Novosti agency on Wednesday.

 

Over the conflict in Ukraine, Putin emphasized Russia’s readiness to utilize nuclear weapons, asserting, “we are ready to use any weapon, including this one (nuclear), if we are talking about the existence of the Russian state, harming our sovereignty and independence.” 

 

This statement follows previous warnings from the Russian government regarding the potential use of nuclear arms, particularly since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

 

During his annual address to the Federal Assembly on February 29, 2024, Putin emphasized the full combat readiness of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces. He also underscored Russia’s possession of weapons capable of targeting adversaries’ territories, serving as a reminder to Western nations, whom he referred to as “Russia’s adversaries”.