Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Thursday that Moscow would deploy all available weaponry if Ukraine were to gain nuclear capabilities.

Last week, The New York Times cited unnamed Western officials who reportedly floated the idea that U.S. President Joe Biden might consider arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons before his term ends.

“If the nation we are essentially in conflict with were to become a nuclear state, how should we respond? In that scenario, we will utilize every, and I stress this, every method of destruction at Russia’s disposal. Absolutely everything: we will not permit it. We’ll be monitoring their actions closely,” Putin stated during a press briefing in Astana, Kazakhstan.

“If any party were to officially hand over such weapons, it would constitute a breach of all their non-proliferation obligations,” Putin added.

While acknowledging that Ukraine’s capacity to independently produce a nuclear weapon was nearly non-existent, Putin suggested that Kyiv might instead develop a “dirty bomb,” a device combining conventional explosives with radioactive materials to disperse contamination. Should such an incident occur, Putin assured that Russia would take appropriate measures.

Moscow has consistently alleged—though without presenting evidence—that Ukraine could potentially resort to using such a weapon.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine inherited a stockpile of nuclear arms. However, under the terms of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Kyiv relinquished those weapons in exchange for security guarantees from Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly expressed regret over that decision, arguing that it left his nation vulnerable. He has used this point to advocate for Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO, a move Russia vehemently opposes.

{Matzav.com}