Vladimir Putin has warned that any country that would attack Russia with nuclear weapons would be ‘wiped from the face of the earth’.
The Russian president said Russia had no mandate to launch a preventative first nuclear strike, unlike the United States, but that Russia’s advanced hypersonic weapons would ensure Russia could respond forcefully if it ever came under attack.
His comments came during a press conference this afternoon following a meeting of regional leaders in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.
Putin also told reporters that a deal would ultimately need to be struck to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, claiming the Kremlin was open to reaching an agreement, but declared that trust with Western and Ukrainian powers was ‘almost zero’.
