Putin will use nukes if faced with an 'existential threat,' Kremlin spokesperson says

(Image credit: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

published 22 March 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin won't rule out using nuclear weapons if Russia faces an "existential threat," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

Putin previously hinted that the nuclear option was on the table when he said in his televised address announcing the invasion on Feb. 24 that the "consequences" for any nation attempting to interfere "will be such as you have never seen in your entire history."

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According to a Russian Defense Ministry report that was released Sunday and almost immediately scrubbed from the country's media, over 9,800 Russian troops have been killed since the invasion began on Feb. 24. In the past week, some Biden administration officials have concluded Russia has abandoned its original goal of implementing regime change in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

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Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.

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