According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the world is facing “probably the most dangerous” decade since World War II’s end.
Mr Putin also accused the West of using nuclear weapons against Russia in order to force allies to abandon Moscow.
The West has condemned the Kremlin’s recent veiled nuclear threats.
Earlier this week, NATO condemned Russia’s unsubstantiated claims that Ukraine might use a “dirty bomb” – conventional explosives laced with radioactive material.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that members of the alliance “reject this allegation” and that “Russia must not use it as a pretext for escalation.”
President Putin was speaking at the annual Valdai forum in the aftermath of a string of military defeats in Ukraine and growing public outrage in Russia over a drive to mobilise 300,000 Russians for the war effort.
He had overseen routine nuclear exercises the day before his address in Moscow, which included a simulated nuclear strike in retaliation for an enemy’s massive nuclear attack. “We’ve never said anything proactively about Russia’s potential use of nuclear weapons. We’ve only offered hints in response to comments made by Western leaders “He informed his audience.
Liz Truss, a former prime minister of the UK, came under fire from President Putin when she said during a campaign event in August that she would be willing to use nuclear weapons if necessary. He expressed surprise that the UK’s friends did not raise a protest: “What exactly were we to do? Keep quiet? Act as if we weren’t aware of it?”
He has, however, repeatedly forewarned of Russia’s deployment of “all available means” to defend itself, which is largely regarded as a nuclear threat.
