France responds to Russia's nuke warning, chides Putin with NATO's combined strength

Reacting to Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine and threats of a possible nuclear attack against any intervention, France has said that President Vladimir Putin needs to understand that NATO is also a nuclear alliance and can come into the scene any day. This came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin in a chilling televised address seems to have threatened nuclear attacks if any other countries try to attack Russia as a counter-measure. 

In this regard, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in an interview with a French television TF1 did not rule any NATO-led military intervention in defense of Ukraine but said that Putin has to realise that about NATO's potential. Further answering on Putin's threats to external forces over intervention, he said that it seems to be a threat of a nuclear attack. "Yes, I think that Putin must also understand that the Atlantic alliance is a nuclear alliance and that is all I will say about this", he said. 

Further speaking on whether NATO will be deploying putting the soldiers in the Ukraine conflict as they have done earlier in various non-NATO countries including Afghanistan, former Yugoslavia, Libya, and other countries, Le Drian said that this is not what the what Ukrainians has asked for as they simply seek humanitarian and financial help followed by proper military equipment from the west. 

The French foreign minister also ruled out any possibilities of a military response and instead emphasized strengthening the sanctions against Russia. "The sanctions imposed by the countries are more effective than any kind of attack as strangling Russia economically as well as financially will be stronger than any kind of other intervention", he said. 

Putin's 'fierce threats' to other countries 

Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Vladimir Putin through a televised address had declared war on Ukraine warning other countries from interfering. He announced about authorising Russian troops to carry out a "special military operation" in the Donbas region of Ukraine. Stating that the operations aim for a “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukraine, he called on Ukrainian servicemen to lay down their weapons and leave the combat zone.

Adding more to it, he also warned other countries from interference and said that any such attempts would lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

Image: AP