Putin Calls Nuclear Weapons a Tool of Deterrence in Ukraine
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
December 7, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Share

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hailed the annexation of Ukrainian territories as a major achievement and said his country’s nuclear weapons serve as a tool of deterrence in the war that the Kremlin calls a “special military operation.”

Speaking with members of the presidential Human Rights Council, Putin described the land gains as “a significant result for Russia,” noting that the “Sea of Azov has become Russia’s internal sea.” He added that “Peter the Great fought to get access to the Sea of Azov.”

Russia seized broad swaths of southern Ukraine in the opening days of its invasion of Ukraine and captured the key Sea of Azov port of Mariupol in May after a nearly three-month siege. In late September, Putin illegally annexed four regions of Ukraine: Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south, and Donetsk and Luhansk in the east.

Asked by a member of the Human Rights Council to pledge that Russia would not be the first to use nuclear weapons, Putin demurred, saying Russia would not be able to use nuclear weapons at all if it agreed not to use them first and then came under a nuclear strike.

“If it doesn’t use it first under any circumstances, it means that it won’t be the second to use it either, because the possibility of using it in case of a nuclear strike on our territory will be sharply limited,” Putin said.

Putin, who has repeatedly said that Russia was ready to use “all available means” to protect its territory, including the annexed areas of Ukraine, rejected Western criticism that those statements amounted to nuclear saber-rattling.

“We haven’t gone mad. We are fully aware of what nuclear weapons are,” Putin said. “We have them, and they are more advanced and state-of-the-art than what any other nuclear power have.”

The Russian leader said reminders of his country’s nuclear arsenal were “not a factor provoking an escalation of conflicts, but a factor of deterrence.”

His claim more than two months ago that the annexed regions belonged to Russia came after the Russian military lost ground to a Ukrainian counteroffensive and followed hastily staged “referendums” that were rejected by Ukraine and its Western allies as a sham.

In his televised remarks Wednesday, the Russian leader didn’t address the setbacks or Moscow’s stalled offensive to cement control over the seized regions.

Last month, Russian troops withdrew from a large part of the Kherson region, including the regional capital, and Ukrainian forces reclaimed the area on the west bank of the Dnieper River. In response to recent attacks that struck air force bases deep inside Russia, Russian officials are working to strengthen defensive positions near the country’s border with Ukraine.

In Russia’s Kursk region, the governor posted photographs of new concrete anti-tank barriers — known as “dragon’s teeth” — being set up in open fields. Anti-tank barriers also were being expanded in the neighboring Russian region of Belgorod, while officials said local “self-defense units” were being organized.

Two strategic Russian air bases more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the Ukraine border were struck Monday in drone attacks. Moscow blamed Ukraine for the strikes, and said modified Soviet-era reconnaissance drones were used to deliver the explosives.

Ukraine typically does not claim responsibility for high-profile attacks.

Moscow responded to the base attacks by unleashing a wave of strikes on Ukrainian territory, using artillery, multiple rocket launchers, missiles, tanks and mortars to fire at residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, compounding damage already done to the power supply network.

Private Ukrainian power utility Ukrenergo said temperatures in eastern areas where it was carrying out emergency repairs had dropped to as low as minus 17 degrees Celsius (near zero degrees Fahrenheit).

Defending the power grid has emerged as a major factor of the nine-month war in Ukraine as Russia responds to losses in territory captured in the east with infrastructure attacks.

During the long meeting with the Russian Human Rights Council, Putin discussed the mobilization of 300,000 reservists that he ordered in September to beef up troops fighting in Ukraine, Putin said that so far only about 150,000 of them have been deployed to combat zones and the rest were still undergoing training elsewhere.

Addressing media allegations that the Kremlin could be preparing another wave of mobilization, Putin denied having such plans.

“In the current conditions, it makes no sense to talk about any additional mobilization efforts,” he said. “There is no need for the Defense Ministry and the country to do that.”

Putin vowed that Russia would press its goals in Ukraine, that “we will consistently fight for our interests.” “We will protect ourselves using all means available,” he said.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Putin Extends Rule in Preordained Russian Election After Harshest Crackdown Since Soviet Era

DON'T MISS

JCF Restricts Donations to Jewish Voice for Peace Amid Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

DON'T MISS

UN Says ‘Famine Is Imminent’ in Northern Gaza as Israel Launches Another Raid on the Main Hospital

DON'T MISS

India’s New Citizenship Law Excludes Muslims. Here’s What to Know

DON'T MISS

US, G-7 Allies Warn Iran to Back Off Deal to Provide Russia Ballistic Missiles or Face New Sanctions

DON'T MISS

Palestinian Leader Appoints Longtime Adviser as Prime Minister in the Face of Calls for Reform

DON'T MISS

Gaza’s Cancer Patients Denied Life-Saving Treatment Amid Border Restrictions

DON'T MISS

Hunger Worsens in Gaza and No End to War in Sight as Ramadan Begins

DON'T MISS

Ukraine’s First Oscar Hailed as Reminder of War’s Horrors as Russian Drones Strike Buildings

DON'T MISS

Former President of Honduras Convicted in US of Aiding Drug Traffickers

No data was found

The 49ers Have Been Docked a 2025 Fifth-Round Draft Pick for an Accounting Error

5 hours ago

Fresno Bank Sued. It Allegedly Helped Bitwise Commit Fraud.

bitwise /

5 hours ago

How California’s Prized Solution for Methane Gas Is Backfiring on Farmers

environment /

8 hours ago

Supreme Court Seems Favorable to Biden Administration Over Efforts to Combat Social Media Posts

9 hours ago

Putin Extends Rule in Preordained Russian Election After Harshest Crackdown Since Soviet Era

9 hours ago

Ohtani to Begin Throwing Program Soon. Roberts Hints Dodgers Star Might Play in the Field

9 hours ago

Trump: Some Migrants Are ‘Not People’, There’ll Be a ‘Bloodbath’ if I Lose

9 hours ago

Tech Lawyer and Philanthropist Nicole Shanahan Rumored as RFK Jr.’s VP Pick

news /

10 hours ago

March Madness is Here. UConn, Purdue, Houston and North Carolina Get Top Seeding in NCAA Tournament

10 hours ago

Crafts Retailer Joann Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy as Consumers Cut Back on Pandemic-Era Hobbies

11 hours ago

Records Show That Valley Children’s Leader Suntrapak’s Pay Exceeds $5 Million

■Valley Children’s paid CEO Todd Suntrapak $5.2 million in 2021. The hospital also gave him a $5 million forgivable home loan. ■The Va...
Healthcare /

5 hours ago

3 days ago

Realtor Association Settles Lawsuit on Commission Rules. Fresno Broker Fears the End of Market Transparency

3 days ago

Prosecutor Leaves Georgia Election Case Against Trump After Relationship With District Attorney

3 days ago

Rory McIlroy’s 65: 10 Birdies, 2 Tee Shots in the Water, 1 Testy Dispute

3 days ago

Aaron Donald Announces His Retirement After a Standout 10-Year Career With the Rams

3 days ago

New Book Explores the Myths, Truths and Legacy of the Macho Man

3 days ago

Baseball Superstar Ohtani and His Wife Arrive in South Korea for Dodgers-Padres MLB Opener

3 days ago

India’s New Citizenship Law Excludes Muslims. Here’s What to Know

3 days ago

US, G-7 Allies Warn Iran to Back Off Deal to Provide Russia Ballistic Missiles or Face New Sanctions

Photo of San Francisco 49ers' Arik Armstead

4 days ago

Former 49ers DT Arik Armstead Agrees to a 3-Year, $51 Million Deal with the Jaguars, AP Source Says

4 days ago

Supreme Court Rules Public Officials Can Sometimes Be Sued for Blocking Critics on Social Media

Search