CIA chief warns potential use of Putin using nuclear weapons 'shouldn't be taken lightly'

As the Russian forces have been facing a tough battle from its neighbouring country, Ukraine, the US Central Intelligence Agency warned that the possibility of President Vladimir Putin using nuclear weapons should not be taken lightly. CIA Director Bill Burns, while delivering his speech at the Georgia Institute of Technology on Thursday, said that the United States has been scrutinising every possible step of President Vladimir Putin regarding the potential use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine. "Given the potential desperation of Putin, given the setbacks that they've faced so far militarily, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low yield nuclear weapons," he stressed.

According to the CIA director, the intelligence agency has not found any evidence or any signs of Russian forces preparing to use nuclear weapons and reiterated the world needs to keep a check on the activities. "While we've seen some rhetorical posturing on the part of the Kremlin about moving to higher nuclear alert levels, so far we haven't seen a lot of practical evidence of the kind of deployments or military dispositions that would reinforce that concern—but we watch for that very intently," he stressed. At the same time, he highlighted that the Russian President is widely isolated and reiterated that the probability of Putin using the lethal weapon could not be ignored.

Kremlin rejects possibility of using nuclear weapons against Ukraine

Amid the speculations that Russia could use nuclear weapons against its neighbouring country, Ukraine, Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy rejected the possibility and said that Moscow would use them if the existence of the state came under threat. According to a report by news agency Sputnik, Polyanskiy, during a meeting of the UN Disarmament Commission, Polyanskiy dismissed all the allegations and speculation of Russia encouraging the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Earlier on February 28, Moscow had sparked a global alarm after Russian President Vladimir Putin placed the country's strategic nuclear forces on high alert. Reacting to Putin's command of nuclear weapons, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had earlier said that the country has a concept of domestic security which states that the conditions in Moscow could resort to its nuclear weaponry.

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