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The Russian president responded in this way to a journalist’s question, which explored the possibility of what would happen if Ukraine got nuclear weapons.
“We will use everything, every weapon of destruction that Russia has,” said Putin. “Everything. We will not allow this.”
Putin paid a two-day visit to Astana, the current capital of Kazakhstan, at the invitation of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
In recent days, several Western newspapers have written about the need to give nuclear weapons to Ukraine for a lasting deterrent, but there is no reliable information that Western leaders would really consider this option.
Russia continues to step up attacks on Kyiv’s critical energy infrastructure, which left millions without power on Wednesday morning. There are fears that even more people will attempt to flee Ukraine this winter as freezing temperatures set in and power and heat supplies are disrupted.
Putin also said Russia was drawing up targets in Ukraine that include “decision-making centers” in Kyiv in response to Ukraine’s use of long-range strikes on Russian territory with Western missile systems.
