Russian President Vladimir Putin has a warning for the countries of the world- any country that attempts to unleash nuclear weapons on Russia will be ‘wiped out’ from the face of the Earth. Putin stated that Russia’s advanced hypersonic weapons would give a befitting reply to any country that dared to attack Russia with nuclear weapons.
The Russian president clarified that ‘unlike United States’ Russia had no mandate to launch a preventative first nuclear strike.
President Putin also stated that 150,000 recently conscripted fighters were waiting to be deployed to Ukraine and therefore denied the need to urgently call up additional troops to fight in Ukraine.
Moscow called up more than 300,000 reservists in a mobilisation drive in September and October, and Putin said on Wednesday that around half had been deployed to Ukraine.
Although Putin has repeatedly said mobilisation is over, the Kremlin has refused to rescind an official decree ordering the call-ups, stoking fears that a second wave could be announced.
Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Friday that there there had been some problems procuring equipment and clothes for the hundreds of thousands of troops Moscow has conscripted to fight in Ukraine in recent months.
President Putin on Friday also stated that Russia may cut oil production and will refuse to sell oil to any country which imposes the West’s price cap on Russian oil, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
The Group of Seven and Australia last week agreed a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil after European Union members overcame resistance from Poland.
Putin said that Russia had an agreement with OPEC about production so such a drastic step was still only a possibility.
Putin also said Moscow would not lose out from the West’s price cap and that the government’s finances would hold up fine.
He said the West’s move was “stupid” and that energy prices would “skyrocket” for those who imposed the caps.
He said Moscow was preparing a response, which would be announced in the coming days.
(With input from Reuters)
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