President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday that Russia was technically ready for nuclear war and that if the U.S. sent troops to Ukraine it would be considered a significant escalation of the war.

Putin, speaking just days before a March 15-17 election which is certain to give him another six years in power, said the nuclear war scenario was not “rushing” up and he saw no need for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

“From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready,” Putin, 71, told Rossiya-1 television and news agency RIA in response to a question whether the country was really ready for a nuclear war.

Putin said the U.S. understood that if it deployed American troops on Russian territory - or to Ukraine - Russia would treat the move as an intervention.

  • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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    8 months ago

    I wonder if the cold war got this boring and obnoxious too or if that’s more a symptom of our modern & fast communication. Hearing those weekly nuclear threats is nothing but a clown show at this point.

    • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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      8 months ago

      First, I prefer boring vs bombs.

      Secondly yes, the cold war was like this with all the Soviet leaders except Gorbachev.

      • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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        8 months ago

        It’s just the cold war was always displayed as this phase of fear and uncertainty. However, I just feel tired and annoyed by the constant babbling. Like, when I constantly read those nuclear threats from Russia I don’t shudder and cower, I just roll my eyes and groan.He should either throw the bombs and end civilization or just shut up already. It’s not like anyone could do anything about it either, so why even give a fuck about it?

        • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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          8 months ago

          I get it. It is boring rhetoric and simply shows Putin in a dick-measuring contest with himself.

          But Ukraine cares ‘cause Congress’ power struggle is directly affecting their ability to battle against that fuckwad for their lives and country.

          Maybe Putin made a mistake here tho by (possibly) showing his hand, ie: he may be considering the use of a low yield nuclear weapon in Ukraine and used this “warning” to keep America at bay. This is only a guess tho.

    • whotookkarl@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Bombing drills in schools instead of active shooter drills I think was a big difference domestically. There was a little gap there from around the mid 1990s to the early 2000s without either, but I got to see the tail end of one and then the introduction of the other.

    • shalafi@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      No Russian leader would have said anything provocative about nukes back then.