Putin threatens nuclear war in case US sends troops to Ukraine
Russia is technically prepared for nuclear war, and if the US sends troops to Ukraine, it will be seen as a significant escalation of the war, says Putin in an interview with Russia 1 and RIA Novosti.
"From a military-technical point of view, we are ready, of course," said the 71-year-old Putin in response to a question about whether the country is truly prepared for nuclear war.
Putin said that the US understands that if they deploy troops to Ukrainian territory, Russia will consider this a step towards intervention.
"(In the US) there are enough experts in Russian-American relations and in the field of strategic deterrence. So, I don't think everything is rushing headlong here, but we are ready for this," Putin said.
Putin's threats
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out that NATO could deploy troops to assist Ukraine. The US has already said that they do not plan to send their military to Ukraine.
According to the Levada Center poll, about 30% of Russia's residents expect Putin to launch a nuclear strike on Ukraine.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said that the threat of using tactical nuclear weapons by Russian President Vladimir Putin is real.
Putin has repeatedly threatened to unleash nuclear war previously if the West sends troops for combat operations to Ukraine.