Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev have once again issued nuclear threats against Ukraine and European countries. Their statements came in response to Russian intelligence reports. They informed about the alleged intentions of Ukraine’s partners to transfer nuclear weapons to it.
Putin’s Statement
In a public address, Vladimir Putin, citing Russian media reports, claimed that Ukraine is allegedly considering the use of a “nuclear component” against Russia. He asserted that Kyiv “doesn’t hesitate to use any means.”
“They probably understand how this can end,” the Russian president said, issuing what appeared to be a direct threat.
Putin also referred to a possible explosion targeting Russian gas infrastructure on the bed of the Black Sea. He specifically mentioned the TurkStream and Blue Stream pipelines.
“They just can’t calm down,” Putin said.
He further warned that Russia would respond harshly to any attempts to assist Kyiv in obtaining nuclear weapons. Putin stressed that if nuclear weapons were to appear in Ukraine, Russia would immediately notify the United States.
Medvedev’s Statement
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, made his remarks on social media. He claimed that France and the United Kingdom are planning to transfer nuclear weapons to Ukraine.
Medvedev once again described the Ukrainian government as a “Nazi regime.” According to him, any move by Ukraine’s partners to supply such weapons would force Russia “to use nuclear weapons against targets in Ukraine.”
He also threatened the so-called “supplier countries,” stating that they would effectively become participants in a nuclear conflict with Russia.
“This is the symmetrical response to which the Russian Federation is entitled,” Medvedev said.
Context
On the morning of February 24, Russian state news agencies and Kremlin-linked propagandists simultaneously circulated a statement from Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service. It claimed that the United Kingdom and France were preparing to provide Kyiv with nuclear weapons, allegedly disguising the transfer as Ukraine’s own nuclear development.
The Kremlin quickly commented on the reports. Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, described the information as “potentially extremely dangerous” and said it would be taken into account during negotiations.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Russia had accused the West of covertly transferring nuclear technologies to Ukraine. Russian intelligence sources alleged that France and the United Kingdom were planning to supply Kyiv with nuclear weapons. Russia also announced a criminal investigation against Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, under charges related to alleged facilitation of terrorist activities.
