“There is no guarantee it will never be used”: Putin spoke about nuclear weapons
The Russian president, speaking at the plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club about the possibility of nuclear weapons use, compared it to a rifle hanging on the wall in a theater scene that must eventually fire.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the possibility of a scenario in the world that could lead to "fatal consequences." Speaking on the evening of October 1 at the plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club, he emphasized that some countries have weapons in their arsenals "capable of destroying all living things." Asking himself whether it is possible to believe that such a weapon will never be used, he answered "no."
Putin compared nuclear weapons to a rifle hanging on the wall on a theater stage that must fire at the end of the play.
"If there is a rifle hanging on the wall on stage at the beginning of a play, it must eventually fire. We must keep this in mind and must not allow it to happen," he said.
According to Putin, the laws of the struggle for survival apply not only in living nature but also in social communities. He said Russia may be forced by circumstances to take "drastic measures." At the same time, he emphasized that all measures must be taken to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.
"If we want to live — after all, everyone wants to live — let us live in harmony," Putin said.
He once again hinted at the possibility of a nuclear catastrophe in the world, saying that if the situation escalates further, "neither school textbooks nor those who study from them will remain."
Putin again accused the West of starting the war in Ukraine
Speaking about Russia's war against Ukraine, Putin claimed that Moscow "did not start the war" and that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was a response to the actions of NATO and Ukraine.
"The point is that we did not want this war and we did not start it, but they started a war against us," the Russian president said.
According to Putin's interpretation, the West encouraged "aggressive nationalism and Russophobia" in Ukraine for years and tried to turn the country into a "weapon" against Russia. He said "radicals" in Kyiv were incited to carry out a "coup," and that there were plans to deploy NATO military bases in Russia's "historical territories."
Putin called the current situation in Europe and the world "very dangerous" and accused Western countries of "aggressive aspirations." Reuters also noted that in his speech he assessed the situation in the world as dangerous and called on the West not to further escalate the conflict in Ukraine.
Putin spoke about the territorial gains of Russian troops
Speaking about the course of the war in Ukraine, Putin said that Russian troops captured 3.5 times more territory in the last month compared to the previous month.
According to his claim, Russia currently controls 89 percent of the territory of Donetsk region. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia controls 81 percent of the Donbas territory.
A few days earlier, Kyiv announced that during the three phases of the "Vivaldi" counteroffensive operation, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had retaken 176 square kilometers of territory.
At the Valdai forum, Putin expressed confidence that Russia would capture all of these territories and said there was no point in Ukraine continuing to fight for them.
Putin called for revising the rules of war due to artificial intelligence
Putin also put forward a proposal to develop a new international convention on the conduct of hostilities. He cited the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies as the reason.
He cited as an example the incident involving Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov in 1983. At that time, according to the protocol in force, Petrov was supposed to give an order to launch a nuclear strike, but he did not make such a decision. According to Putin, artificial intelligence would have made a different decision in such a situation.
Putin also mentioned the possibility of striking military enterprises in Europe
Answering a question about the possibility of striking military enterprises in Europe, the Russian president said that Moscow "certainly" does not plan to take such a path, but is "monitoring the threats."
According to him, the direct participation of Western countries in strikes on Russian territory is assessed by Moscow as a direct threat.
Putin also said that in the event of a direct attack on Russia, the question of using all weapons at Moscow's disposal would be put on the agenda.
Why was Valdai moved from Sochi to Moscow region?
This year the Valdai Club meeting was moved from Sochi to the Moscow region. It is said that more Russian air defense assets are concentrated in the area where the event was held.
Britain's Financial Times newspaper, citing four sources, wrote that the change of venue was caused by security concerns amid intensified attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Two of the sources said the decision to change the location was made at the request of Putin's security service.
