Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised statement on Sunday that he was ordering Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces on alert, as he continues his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Driving the news: Speaking alongside his defense minister and military chief of staff, Putin said recent sanctions and “aggressive statements” from NATO countries had led him to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty.”
Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.
This is the second time Putin has alluded to Russia’s nuclear arsenal while effectively warning the West to back off.
-
In a statement at the onset of the invasion, Putin said anyone who tried to “hinder us” would face “such consequences that you have never encountered in your history.”
-
Fear of a standoff between nuclear powers is a large part of the reason the U.S. and its NATO allies have been so adamant that they will not send troops to Ukraine.
The latest: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that a Ukrainian delegation would meet with a Russian delegation for peace talks “without preconditions” on the border between Ukraine and Belarus.
State of play: U.S. and Ukrainian officials say Russia’s invasion is not going to plan due to stronger-than-expected Ukrainian resistance.
-
The Kremlin and state media continue to tell Russians that no “war” or “invasion” is taking place, but instead states there’s a limited defensive operation in eastern Ukraine.
-
The large protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg, despite the threat of mass arrests, indicate that many Russians aren’t buying it.
What to watch: Having already threatened any independent publications that report on Russian casualties or aggression with censorship, the government is preparing to crack down harder on its citizens.
Go deeper: Sanctions push Russia closer to China
Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
Putin orders nuclear deterrent forces on alert
Source: Best News Global