Russia's nuke threat reduced 'for the time being', says Scholz after Putin renews warning

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday stated that the risk of nuclear weapons being used by Russia against Ukraine has been reduced "for the time being." He said, "Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons in response to the international community marking a red line."

This remark came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would only use nuclear weapons in retaliation and that the risk of nuclear war is "growing." It would be wrong to hide this fact,' he added, reported BBC.

German Chancellor Scholz on his recent meet with Xi Jinping

Speaking about his recent visit to Beijing, Scholz said that his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping contributed to "putting a stop" to the threat of nuclear escalation. He noted that during his meeting with the Chinese leader, both of them had agreed that "nuclear weapons must not be used," and later, the G20 countries had reaffirmed this stand.

Addressing the Human Rights Council, Putin stated that Russia would "under no circumstances" use the weapons first and would not threaten anyone with its nuclear weapons. "We have not gone mad; we are aware of what nuclear weapons are," he said, adding, "We aren't about to run around the world brandishing this weapon like a razor." Notably, Russia drew widespread condemnation and scrutiny after Putin declared war on Ukraine in February. Earlier, Putin had stated that the Russian Defense Ministry had "various weapons of destruction" and would "use all the means available" if required. He stressed that he was "not bluffing."

War in Ukraine 'could end' soon if Zelenskyy shows 'will', says Kremlin official

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Ukraine war could "end tomorrow" if Ukraine's leadership showed "political will." Peskov asserted that there will be no further annexations of Ukrainian territories, for the time being, reported Interfax news agency. If Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy had that desire, a meeting to discuss the end of the war could take place, he added.

"Zelenskyy knows when all this can end: it can end tomorrow if that's what he wants." Peskov further noted that there will be no annexation of the new territories in the areas captured by the Russian forces and said, "There are no communiqués on this issue. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to liberate these territories."

Image: AP