Exactly. That is why he never actually threatened with a nuclear strike, just some vague "retaliation". But that was sadly enough for cowardly politicians to abandon Ukraine all over again…
Here's the relevant part (interpret this as you will):
"I would now like to say something very important for those who may be tempted to interfere in these developments from the outside. No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history. No matter how the events unfold, we are ready. All the necessary decisions in this regard have been taken. I hope that my words will be heard."
What "consequences ... such as you have never seen in your entire history" are you imagining he's referencing? Threats can be clear without using the very specific wording you're demanding.
You quoted the "wrong" part of the speech. Here it is, I highlighted for you:
> As for military affairs, even after the dissolution of the USSR and losing a considerable part of its capabilities, today’s Russia remains one of the most powerful NUCLEAR states. Moreover, it has a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons. In this context, there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.
Watch those again. He never pronounced the word nuclear. It was just a (more or less empty) threat in the poker game he is playing to keep cowardly politicians from helping an independent nation being invaded.
Looks like it worked. I wonder what else are people willing to give up at the mere hint of a nuclear threat: their houses? Their freedom? Their friends? Their spouses? Their children?
People are already giving up their freedom, friends, spouses and children. They're called Ukrainian.
Also, he did say it, according to that _transcription_. I don't speak Russian, so i wouldn't know beyond that. Regardless don't play dumb, you and everyone else knew what he meant. Whether or not he'll follow through is the question - but what he meant was obvious. He knew what he was implying.
> As for military affairs, even after the dissolution of the USSR and losing a considerable part of its capabilities, today’s Russia remains one of the most powerful NUCLEAR states. Moreover, it has a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons. In this context, there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.
> Putin warned the West that he wouldn't hesitate to conduct a nuclear strike if they try to meddle.
I maintain he never said that and that interpreting the word nuclear which indeed appears at the beginning of the speech (I stand corrected) in the context of the retaliation threat at the end - is quite a stretch.
The retaliation threat is right there in the same paragraph as mentioning their nuclear capabilities, I’m not sure how you can rationally argue otherwise.
> Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear powers in the world
If you're using a different transcript then i'm not commenting on that. I was literally just pointing to what i posted, which may not be accurate - as i said multiple times.
Not sure why i had to type out what is clearly readable in what i posted, but /shrug
Dude, even if the West is 99% sure that Putin is bluffing, then the risk of starting nuclear war remains to be 1%. No sane person would call this bluff for the sake of saving Ukraine. Who cares about Ukraine after all.
