Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a nuclear threat and warned of a global conflict in his State of the Nation speech, ahead of the one-year anniversary of his war in Ukraine.
Putin railed against the West, accusing it of seeking to turn the war into a global conflict. He also used language that indicated a defeat in Ukraine would justify the use of nuclear weapons. Keir Giles, an expert on security issues affecting Russia, noted that Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons were more subtle than before, but were still present. Giles added that the coded message was intended to deter Western backers from providing the essential war-winning support to Ukraine.
While some people noted that Putin had made similar threats before, others saw the speech as an indication of stagnation. Putin’s speech was delivered to an audience that included several dignitaries, such as the vice-chairman of Putin’s Security Council, the head of oil giant Rosneft, the finance minister, and the Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church.
In his speech, Putin insisted that his decision to invade Ukraine a year ago was justified and said, “Step by step, we will accomplish all our tasks carefully and consistently.” He also warned that the more long-range Western systems are delivered to Ukraine, the farther Russia will be forced to move the threat from its borders.
