Merkel’s warning: "Putin is not bluffing about the use of nuclear weapons"

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel is sounding the alarm about Vladimir Putin’s warning to the West about the use of nuclear weapons in his dramatic speech announcing a further escalation of the conflict.

“The West should take Putin’s words seriously and not dismiss them as a bluff,” Merkel told NATO and EU, emphasizing the need to protect the territorial sovereignty of Ukraine, as well as coordinated actions to avoid a nuclear Armageddon. Speaking at the opening of the “Helmut Kohl Foundation” (“Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Kohl-Stiftung”) on Tuesday, Merkel issued a dramatic warning:

“His words must be taken seriously, and not rejected from the very beginning as a bluff. Putin’s actions are by no means a sign of weakness or appeasement, but proof of political intelligence. This helps to maintain a margin of maneuver or, equally important, to create a new one.“.

Merkel mentioned former chancellor and German mentor Helmut Kohl as a politician who was a political genius:

“Kohl would do everything today to protect and restore the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine, but at the same time he would have in mind how relations with Russia can be revived in the future, not through German unilateral steps, but always in agreement with all partners in the EU and NATO”.

Washington warns Putin of “catastrophic” consequences. The United States will respond strongly to any Russian use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine and has made clear to Moscow the “catastrophic consequences” it will face, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.

Sullivan’s remarks are the latest US warning since Vladimir Putin’s threat last Wednesday about the possible use of nuclear weapons in a speech in which the Russian president also announced the first military draft since World War II. “If Russia crosses the line, it will lead to catastrophic consequences for her. The United States will respond strongly”Sullivan said on NBC’s Meet the Press.

In his speech today, the US official did not describe the nature of the planned US response, but said that Washington, in private talks with Moscow, “explained in more detail exactly what that would mean.” The national security adviser said the US has often been in direct contact with Russia, including in recent days, to discuss the situation in Ukraine and Putin’s actions and threats.

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