President Vladimir Putin of Russia stated on Sunday that there has been no necessity to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and he expressed hope that this situation will remain unchanged.
In an excerpt from an interview set to be aired on Russian state TV, shared via Telegram, Putin affirmed that Russia possesses the capability and resources to resolve the conflict in Ukraine effectively.
When questioned about Ukraine’s attacks on Russian soil, Putin commented, “There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons … and I hope they will not be required.”
“We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires,” he said.
Putin signed a revamped version of Russia’s nuclear doctrine in November 2024, spelling out the circumstances that allow him to use Moscow’s atomic arsenal, the world’s largest.
That version lowered the bar, giving him that option in response to even a conventional attack backed by a nuclear power.
Russia and Ukraine are at odds over competing ceasefire proposals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, in comments made public Saturday, that Moscow’s announcement of a 72-hour ceasefire next week in Ukraine to mark Victory Day in World War II is merely an attempt to create a “soft atmosphere” ahead of Russia’s annual celebrations.
Zelenskyy instead renewed calls for a more substantial 30-day pause in hostilities, as the U.S. had initially proposed. He said the proposed ceasefire could start anytime as a meaningful step toward ending the war.
Putin on Monday declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire in Ukraine to mark Victory Day in World War II as the U.S. presses for a deal to end the 3-year-old war. The Kremlin said the truce, ordered on “humanitarian grounds,” will run from the start of May 8 and last through the end of May 10 to mark Moscow’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 — Russia’s biggest secular holiday.
Meanwhile, 11 people were wounded in a Russian drone attack overnight on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said Sunday. Two children were among the wounded.
Russia fired a total of 165 exploding drones and decoys overnight, Ukraine’s air force said. Of those, 69 were intercepted and a further 80 lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Russia also launched two ballistic missiles.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 13 Ukrainian drones overnight.
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