Moscow: In another spine-chilling moment for, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s referred to atomic bombings in Japan during a conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
Putin expressed the view that the bombings, which triggered the Japanese surrender and the end of second World War, demonstrated that one doesn’t need to attack major cities in order to win, the Daily Mail reported.
The US dropped their first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945 before targeting Nagasaki three days later.
Putin, who ordered a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24 this year, is yet to call off the invasion. Russian troops have faced significant setbacks in Ukraine over the last eight months, and Putin has threatened that he could use a tactical nuclear weapon to bring a conclusive end to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“Macron was distinctly alarmed. It sounded like a very heavy hint that Putin might detonate a tactical nuclear weapon in the east of Ukraine, while leaving Kyiv intact… That appeared to be the thrust of his remarks,” the Mail report said.
Russia has recently accused Ukraine of plotting to use a ‘dirty bomb’ laced with radioactive material in the Russia-occupied town of Kherson.
Ukraine has vehemently rejected the allegation.
Foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the Russians often accuse others of what they plan themselves.