Zelenskyy warns of increased nuclear rhetoric from Russia before year end

Russia will step up its nuclear threats by the end of 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Italian outlet Sky TG24, citing assessments of Ukrainian intelligence.

"By the end of the year, according to our intelligence, there will be more nuclear threats," Zelenskyy stated.  

When Russia threatens nuclear weapons, it shows weakness, not its strength, the head of state noted.

The Kremlin resorts to such steps when neither military operations nor the work of diplomats give it the desired results, Zelenskyy added.

"They wanted to destroy our independence, but they could not win on the ground," the president concluded.

On September 6, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Rajmund Andrzejczak said that Vladimir Putin's "gangster" nuclear threats require a more aggressive response from NATO, including flying more nuclear-armed aircraft.

On September 17, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said he believes that the risk of Russia using nuclear weapons against Ukraine is "huge".