Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of an “increasing” threat of nuclear war following months of steadily escalating rhetoric between Moscow and Washington.
“This risk [of nuclear conflict] is increasing,” Putin said at a Dec. 7 meeting in Moscow of Russia’s Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.
“Why deny it?” the Russian president added.
Putin made the remarks in answer to a question by Svetlana Makovetskaya, director of Russia’s Grani Center of Civil Analysis and Independent Research.
According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Makovetskaya asked Putin to address Russian fears by stating unequivocally that Moscow would not—under any circumstances—be the first to use nuclear weapons….