Putin’s nuclear stance a pressure tactic, won’t break them, says Ukraine

Ukraine‘s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order to activate Russian deterrent troops was an attempt to exert pressure on the Ukrainian delegation at Monday’s scheduled talks.

Also read: Jens Stoltenberg calls Putin’s nuclear move a ‘dangerous rhetoric’

“As you notice, this order by President Putin came shortly after the announcement was made about the two delegations ready to meet. And we see this announcement this order, as an attempt to raise stakes and to put additional pressure on the Ukrainian delegation,” Kuleba said at a briefing in Kyiv.

He added, “But we will not give into this pressure” and said, “We will approach this talks with a very simple approach.”

Also read: US calls Putin’s nuclear force escalation ‘manufactured threats’

Kuleba signalled that Ukrainian officials are ready to “listen to what Russia has to say.”

“We will tell them what we think of this. And what we are ready to discuss is how to stop the war and the occupation of our territories. Full stop,” the foreign minister said.

Also read: Ukraine, Russian diplomats to meet at Belarus border on Monday

Kuleba said Putin’s decision “to put on high alert his nuclear weapons is a direct threat to us. I have a very simple message. It will be a catastrophe for the world, but it will not break us down.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called Putin’s move a ‘manufactured threat,’ while NATO secretary-general termed it as a ‘dangerous rhetoric.’