The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has assured that Moscow “is technically prepared” for nuclear war and has stated that the capabilities that Russian forces have are “more modern” than those of the rest of the countries in the world. “From a technical and military point of view, we are prepared, of course,” he said during an interview with the Rossiya 1 television channel and the RIA Novosti agency.

“The troops are in a constant state of combat readiness,” he explained. “Our nuclear triad –the vision of the nuclear arsenal in missiles in silos on land, missiles carried by strategic bombers and missiles in nuclear submarines– is more modern than any other. Only we and the Americans have such a triad“, he defended. “In terms of missiles and warheads, we have approximately parity, but ours are more modern,” he reiterated.

Thus, he pointed out that various countries “are developing all its components, just like Russia.” “That does not mean, in my opinion, that they are prepared for a nuclear war tomorrow. Do you want to? We are prepared,” she noted, as reported by the Russian newspaper ‘Izvestia’.

Putin has also highlighted that Russia has not to date considered the use of nuclear weapons in the context of the invasion of Ukraine, unleashed in February 2022. “Why do we need to use weapons of mass destruction? There was never that need,” has assured. In this sense, he has warned that “weapons exist to be used” and has reiterated that Moscow maintains “its own principles” to determine their use. “We would be prepared to use those weapons (…) if we talk about the existence of the Russian State, it would damage our sovereignty and independence,” he argued.

Putin has further stated that it is important that Russia maintains its ability to defend itself against any type of threat. “No one will take us into account if we cannot defend ourselves. The consequences would be catastrophic for the Russian State. Our children would not have a future, since we would be a third or fourth tier country,” she explained.

On the other hand, he has indicated that the Russian Army will deploy troops and weapons systems near the border with Finland after its entry into NATO. “It was up to them, and they have decided. We didn’t have troops there, but now we will. There were no systems there, but they will appear,” he stressed.

Likewise, he has reiterated that “those countries that say they do not have ‘red lines’ with respect to Russia must understand that Russia will not have ‘red lines’ with respect to them,” in apparent reference to the recent statements of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who He said Paris has “no limit” in its support for Ukraine.

The president has stated that there are countries that “are toughening their policy towards Russia and adopting extreme measures”, including sending military personnel to Ukraine, while pointing out that they “do not feel” the consequences of their “provocations.”

In this sense, he stated that Macron “has some resentment” because Russia “has stepped on the tail” of France in Africa. “We have not fired anyone, it is simply that the leaders of some African countries reached agreements with Russian economic agents and wanted to work with them, not with the French,” he explained.

Finally, he stressed that Moscow is willing to hold peace negotiations with Ukraine, as long as “they are based on reality.” “We are only prepared for negotiations that are not based on the wishes of people who consumed psychotropic drugs,” she concluded.