Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Western powers of attempting to provoke Moscow into deploying nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Speaking in a new documentary marking his 25 years in power, Putin said the West was deliberately trying to trigger a nuclear response. “They wanted to provoke us into mistakes,” he said, while insisting that Russia saw no need for nuclear escalation.
Putin expressed hope that nuclear weapons will never be necessary, adding that Russia has enough conventional strength to meet its military objectives in Ukraine.
Since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin has issued repeated nuclear threats, heightening global fears.
U.S. intelligence believed Moscow might deploy nuclear weapons in late 2022, prompting Washington to issue direct diplomatic warnings. A recent test strike on Dnipro using a new Russian missile has reignited nuclear concerns.
Despite these tensions, Putin reiterated that Russia remains restrained in its nuclear posture. Observers, however, say his statements reflect a continued effort to use nuclear rhetoric as a tool of intimidation.
