Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the world to “prepare” for a possible use of its nuclear weapons by Russia during an interview with several Ukrainian media outlets on Saturday.
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We should not wait for the moment when Russia decides to use its nuclear weapons. We need to prepare for that, he said in the interview, which was broadcast on Telegram by six Ukrainian news sites and the Ukrainian Presidency.
We need “medicines (against radiation), bomb shelters,” he said. We have to talk to them, sign contracts, take economic action. (The Russians) can use any weapon, I’m sure of that.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyj had already judged on Friday that “the whole world” should be “concerned” about the danger that Russian President Vladimir Putin, cornered by his military setbacks in Ukraine, will resort to a tactical nuclear weapon. “Not just me, I think the whole world, all countries should be worried,” he told CNN.
He echoed statements made by US foreign intelligence chief William Burns, who had assessed the day before that such a threat should not be “taken lightly”.
“We haven’t really seen any concrete indications, such as deployments or military action, that could increase our concerns,” the CIA chief said.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the Kremlin briefly mentioned putting its nuclear forces on alert.
Moscow will only use nuclear weapons in Ukraine in the event of an “existential threat” against Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov then told CNN without further details.
According to the highly respected Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Russia is armed with “1,588 deployed Russian nuclear warheads,” including 812 on land-based missiles, 576 on submarines, and 200 on bombers.