Vladimir Putin recently sat down for a new interview where he talked about his 25 years as Russia’s leader and gave his thoughts on the war in Ukraine.
He also spoke about the possibility of using nuclear weapons in the conflict, a topic that has caused a lot of fear around the world since the war began.
Back in 2022, tensions between Russia and Ukraine reached a breaking point when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This major move shocked many countries and set off a chain of events that has led to ongoing violence, destruction, and thousands of lives lost.
One of the biggest concerns people have had since then is the fear that the war could become even more dangerous if nuclear weapons are involved, especially because Russia owns one of the largest collections of nuclear arms in the world.
In late 2023, Putin updated Russia’s nuclear policy. In this new version, he explained that Russia could use nuclear weapons not just if it were attacked with them, but even if there’s a regular military attack supported by a nuclear-armed country.
This change made many experts and leaders more nervous, as it lowered the bar for when Russia might decide to use such powerful weapons. It suggested that the risk of the war becoming nuclear, while still unlikely, wasn’t as far-fetched as before.
In the recent interview shown on Russian state television, Putin responded to questions about this fear. He said there has been no reason to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine and that he hopes such a moment never comes.
According to him, Russia already has enough military strength and resources to finish what it started in Ukraine back in 2022, without needing to use extreme force like nuclear arms. He believes the war will end in a way that works out well for Russia.
Putin also talked about past events, like Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. He said they didn’t go for a full military invasion back then because Russia wasn’t ready to take on a big fight against Western countries.
He claimed that Russia had sincerely wanted to solve the problems in the Donbas region through peaceful talks before the war began, but things didn’t go as planned.
Even though Putin expressed confidence that the war will eventually end in Russia’s favor, there’s still no clear sign of when that will actually happen. Many people believe the conflict could drag on for a long time, especially since peace talks have not led to any real agreement.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently shared his thoughts on the situation too. Writing on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said he was concerned that Putin might not actually want peace. He pointed out that even while peace discussions are going on, Russia continues to launch missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian areas.
Trump said that this kind of behavior makes him think Putin is not being honest about wanting to stop the war. He suggested that maybe Putin needs to be pressured in different ways, such as stronger economic sanctions. Trump ended his message by saying that too many people are dying and something must change.
The current U.S. Vice President, JD Vance, also spoke about the war. He said he thinks it’s not going to end soon because both Russia and Ukraine want very different outcomes. Speaking in a recent interview on Fox News, Vance said that it’s up to both countries to come together and find a way to stop this brutal war.
He acknowledged that Ukraine is deeply upset about being invaded, but he questioned how much longer they can keep fighting over a few miles of land when so many soldiers are being killed. He said he hopes both sides come to their senses and work toward peace.
Right now, the war continues with no real end in sight. Despite the leaders’ comments and ongoing talks, people are still dying, cities are still being bombed, and families are being torn apart. The world can only hope that a peaceful solution is reached before things get even worse.
