Vladimir Putin’s threats that he would use nuclear weapons in the crisis in Ukraine must be taken seriously, according to the head of the EU’s foreign policy.
According to Josep Borrell, the fight has come to a “dangerous moment,” as reported by Lyse Doucet of the BBC.
The timing of his comments coincides with Russia’s partial mobilisation and its efforts to conquer four regions of Ukraine.
On the battlefield, Mr. Putin has suffered setbacks as a Ukrainian counteroffensive forced his forces back.
Putin’s threat to deploy nuclear weapons in response to the Russian army being forced into a corner was deemed to be a very unwise move by Mr. Borrell.
If not, he said, “we can win the war, but there won’t be peace and there will be another war.”
This week, in a rare address to the nation, Mr. Putin declared that his nation had “different weapons of destruction” and that it would “use all available measures” to use them. He added, “I’m not bluffing.
You must take someone seriously when they claim something is not a bluff, according to Mr. Borrell.
President Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 Russians who had completed their conscription during the same speech, setting off protests and reports of people fleeing the nation to avoid being deployed to the front lines.
In whose favour is the conflict in Ukraine?
