President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the North Atlantic Alliance to launch a pre-emptive strike on Russia to prevent Russian President Volodymyr Putin from using nuclear weapons.
He said this during an online speech at the Lowy Institute.
"What should NATO do? Eliminate the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons. But, importantly, I am once again appealing to the international community, as I did before February 24: pre-emptive strikes — so that they know what will happen if they are used. And not the other way around — to wait for Russiaʼs nuclear strikes to then say: "Ah, you are, well, keep it from us!" the president said.
The Kremlin called Zelenskyʼs statement "a call to start a new world war."
- After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Putin, representatives of the Russian government, and propagandists repeatedly hinted that Russia could use nuclear weapons. On September 21, Putin threatened nuclear weapons in the event of an attack on the Russian Federation. In fact, he hinted at the possibility of nuclear strikes if the Armed Forces continue to liberate the occupied territories that Russia wants to annex based on the "results" of pseudo-referendums.
- The USA warned the Russian Federation of "devastating" consequences and a response.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that the nuclear threat from the Russian Federation may become a reality, so it should be taken seriously.
- The U.S. has stepped up surveillance of Russiaʼs nuclear weapons but still sees no signs of preparations for its use.