Saint Petersburg [Russia], June 6: Speaking to the heads of international news agencies on June 5, on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in St Petersburg (Russia), President Putin revealed that he had received a letter from US President Joe Biden regarding the conflict in Ukraine . The Russian leader said he replied: "If you want to end hostilities in Ukraine, stop supplying weapons. Then, within two to three months, everything will be over."
Mr. Putin revealed the above answer in the context of the West increasing military aid to Ukraine and allowing Kyiv to use weapon aid to attack inside Russian territory.
Putin suggested that when the US and its allies provide Kyiv with long-range ammunition aimed at Russian territory, Moscow could respond by providing similar weapons to foreign parties who could use them to attack. pro-Ukrainian parties.
He also said that using British ATACMS or Storm Shadow missiles against Russia could lead to a tougher response from Moscow, according to Reuters. "We will improve our air defense system and destroy them," Mr. Putin emphasized.
President Putin also said that he could deploy conventional missiles with the range to strike the United States and its European allies if they allowed Ukraine to attack deeper into Russian territory with long-range weapons manufactured by the West. provide.
He warned that if the West continues to escalate, such actions "will completely destroy international relations and weaken international security".
Also during the above meeting, President Putin commented that the idea that Moscow plans to attack NATO is a foolish attempt to maintain Western global hegemony through fear, according to RT. Mr. Putin made this comment when asked about NATO's preparations to protect against Russian "invasion".
When asked about the risk of nuclear war, Mr. Putin emphasized that Russia's nuclear doctrine allows the use of this weapon if the country's territorial integrity or sovereignty is threatened, according to Reuters.
"For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use that doctrine," Putin said when asked by Reuters about the risk of nuclear escalation in Ukraine.
"We have a nuclear doctrine, let's see what it says. If someone's actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we think we can use any means at our disposal ".
Russia's nuclear doctrine published in 2020 sets out the conditions under which the Russian president would consider using nuclear weapons: such as in response to an attack using nuclear weapons or destructive weapons other mass destruction, or the use of conventional weapons against Russia "when the existence of the state is threatened".
President Putin rejected Western assertions that Russia used nuclear weapons and pointed out that the United States was the only country to use nuclear weapons in war, attacking the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. in 1945, according to Reuters.
There is currently no information on the reaction of the US, NATO and Ukraine to Mr. Putin's new statement.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper