President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday that Russia was technically ready for nuclear war and that if the U.S. sent troops to Ukraine it would be considered a significant escalation of the war.

Putin, speaking just days before a March 15-17 election which is certain to give him another six years in power, said the nuclear war scenario was not “rushing” up and he saw no need for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

“From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready,” Putin, 71, told Rossiya-1 television and news agency RIA in response to a question whether the country was really ready for a nuclear war.

Putin said the U.S. understood that if it deployed American troops on Russian territory - or to Ukraine - Russia would treat the move as an intervention.

  • 2fat4that@kbin.social
    4·
    8 months ago

    Yeah but what’re you gonna do? 🤷‍♂️ He either does it or he doesn’t. We can’t really stop him before but sure as hell can after.

    • dhhyfddehhfyy4673@fedia.io
      413·
      8 months ago

      Could maybe try not antagonizing the absolute fuck out of Russia for years without good cause. It’s pretty wild how everyone is so cavalier about the prospect of possible extinction level events.

        • tal@lemmy.todayEnglish
          7·
          8 months ago

          Based on that map that Lukashenka had with the troop movements that included Odesa to Moldova back before the whole victory-in-a-few-days thing fell apart, I assume that the Moldovans were guilty of being in the general vicinity and not having a large military.

          Which I guess also “antagonizes the absolute fuck out of Russia”.

      • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
        72·
        8 months ago

        A Russia first strike would not result in anything close to extinction for any species (except maybe the Moscovite Ork).

      • Jaysyn@kbin.social
        3·
        8 months ago

        Yeah, those Ukrainians had it coming, having fair elections & kicking out Putin’s stooges like they did.

        I wonder what he’ll do to the USA when we incarcerate Trump for the rest of his worthless life?

      • IninewCrow@lemmy.caEnglish
        23·
        8 months ago

        I can never understand the logic of never looking at the issue from the Russian side.

        I’m no fan of Russia or Putin but I also know that no one should poke sticks at a wild bear and then call foul when the bear starts growling at them and then cry blame when the bear attacks.

        You are right, the west is antagonizing someone that can lead us into Nuclear Armageddon and everyone is trying to argue that it’s Russia’s fault.

        I also can’t believe how Lemmy News can be filled with so many war hawks