Putin says he sees no threat warranting use of nuclear arms but warns Russia could arm Western foes
Associated PressST. PETERSBURG, Russia — President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he sees no current threat to Russia’s sovereignty that would warrant the use of nuclear weapons but again warned that Moscow could send arms to countries or groups to strike Western targets. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said use of nuclear weapons is only possible in “exceptional cases” and that he does not believe “such a case has arisen.” The Russian leader has repeatedly raised the specter of a nuclear attack since he sent troops into Ukraine in 2022. On Wednesday, a Western official and a U.S. senator said Ukraine has used American weapons to strike inside Russia under newly approved guidance from President Joe Biden that allows American arms to be used to defend Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Putin also said he sees no need for a new round of mobilization to beef up Russia’s forces in Ukraine because, he said, “people come voluntarily and go to the front lines to defend the Motherland.” Russia mobilized 300,000 reservists in the fall of 2022 amid a series of military setbacks in Ukraine, an unpopular move that prompted hundreds of thousands to flee the country to avoid being drafted.