(NewsSpace.com) – It’s been just over two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, and the war is not showing any signs of abating. Ukraine is still relying heavily on NATO members and the West to fund its defense. The only thing they don’t have is boots on the ground, and that’s not likely to happen. Yet, when French President Emmanuel Macron suggested it could be possible, it led to more threats from Russia.
In his annual State of the Nation Address on Thursday, February 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nations helping Ukraine. He stated those who aided or even suggested sending troops to the war-torn country threatened “a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization.” His comments seemed to be a direct acknowledgment of Macron’s previous statements.
Putin went even further, stating that Russia has “weapons that can strike targets on their territory” and questioning, “Do they not understand this?” He referenced past leaders who tried to encroach on Russian territory—Russia perceives Ukraine as its own—including Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte. He wasn’t very subtle in saying “consequences for potential interventionists will be much more tragic” than they were in the past.
Not everyone agreed with Macron’s statements, though. Western leaders, including President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have distanced themselves from such sentiments. None have a desire to put boots on the ground, happy just to provide munitions, weapons, and aid.
This is hardly the first time that Russia has threatened the use of nuclear weapons. It has been doing so since the inception of the war, hoping to deter the West from contributing to Ukraine’s defense. Things have reached a critical point, though. Russia is in the process of gaining ground at the same time that US aid is stalled out in Congress. However, his comments continue to be incendiary at best.
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