In the interview, Putin said there would be “no need” to use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict. Responding to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Russia, he said: “There has been no need to use those [nuclear] weapons … and I hope they will not be required.”
In November, Putin signed a revamped version of Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which spelt out the circumstances under which he would use his atomic arsenal, the world’s biggest. The document lowered the threshold for a nuclear strike in response to a broader range of conventional attacks.
On Monday, Putin announced a temporary three-day ceasefire starting on May 8 to mark the end of World War II. In response, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for the ceasefire to last at least 30 days, reiterating a proposal by Kyiv that Moscow has not taken up.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Russia’s announcement of a one-sided 72-hour ceasefire is a “theatrical performance,” and just an attempt to create a “soft atmosphere” ahead of Russia’s celebrations.
Late Saturday, Zelenskyy said that Kyiv is “ready to move toward a ceasefire as soon as possible — even starting today — if Russia is ready to take reciprocal steps — to establish complete silence, a lasting ceasefire of at least 30 days.”
However, “currently, the intensity of Russian strikes indicates nothing but Russia’s desire to continue fighting,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.