Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and that he hopes it will not.
In comments aired Sunday in a film by Russian state television about his quarter of a century in power, Mr. Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a “logical conclusion.”
Responding to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Mr. Putin said: “There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons … and I hope they will not be required.”
“We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires,” he said.
The Russian leader’s comments came as Ukrainian and Russian officials clashed Sunday over accusations of ceasefire violations. Moscow accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of threatening the safety of dignitaries attending Victory Day celebrations after the Ukrainian leader dismissed Russia’s unilateral 72-hour ceasefire.
Mr. Zelenskyy instead renewed calls for a more substantial 30-day pause in hostilities, as the U.S. had initially proposed. He said the proposed ceasefire could start anytime as a meaningful step toward ending the three-year war. “Let’s be honest - you can’t agree on anything serious in three, five, or seven days,” he said.
Mr. Zelenskyy said that Moscow’s announcement of a 72-hour ceasefire next week in Ukraine to mark Victory Day in World War II is merely an attempt to create a “soft atmosphere” ahead of Russia’s annual celebrations. “It looks unserious,” he said, “so that Putin’s guests on Red Square feel comfortable and safe.”
He said that Ukraine cannot provide security assurances to foreign officials planning to visit Russia around May 9, warning that Moscow could stage provocations and later attempt to blame Ukraine.
Mr. Zelenskyy said that some governments had approached Kyiv seeking safety reassurance while their delegations are in Russia.
“Our position is very simple: we cannot take responsibility for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation,” he said. “They are the ones providing your security, and we will not be offering any guarantees.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Mr. Zelenskyy had “unequivocally threatened the world leaders who are planning to arrive in Moscow on May 9.”
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Saturday that nobody could guarantee Kyiv’s safety if Ukraine attacked Moscow celebrations on May 9.
“In the event of a real provocation on Victory Day, no one will guarantee that May 10 will come in Kyiv,” he wrote on Telegram.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia expects Kyiv to take steps to de-escalate before Victory Day.
“We will, of course, expect (from) Kyiv not ambiguous, but final statements, and most importantly, actions aimed at de-escalating the conflict during the holidays,” Mr. Peskov told journalists.
Russia’s ceasefire proposals, he said, were meant to “test Kyiv’s readiness to find ways for long-term sustainable peace between Russia and Ukraine.”
An attack last week on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, wounded 47 people, officials said.
Russia fired a total of 183 exploding drones and decoys Friday night, Ukraine’s air force said. Of those, 77 were intercepted and a further 73 lost, likely having been electronically jammed. Russia also launched two ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 170 Ukrainian drones Friday night. The ministry said eight cruise missiles and three guided missiles were also intercepted.
In southern Russia, five people, including two children, were injured in a drone strike on the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to Mayor Andrey Kravchenko.
The latest wave of attacks comes after the U.S. and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources. It finalizes a deal months in the making that could enable continued military aid to Kyiv amid concerns that President Donald Trump might scale back support in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia.
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