CANBERRA, Australia (AP) 鈥� Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday it was 鈥渉ard to say鈥� whether the risk of nuclear war had increased with his military's territorial gains, but he remains confident his Russian counterpart would not survive such as escalation in hostilities.
Zelenskyy was addressing the Lowy Institute international think tank in Sydney via video link after last week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that he won鈥檛 hesitate to use nuclear weapons to ward off Ukraine鈥檚 attempt to reclaim control of Moscow-occupied areas.
Asked if the risk of Russia using nuclear weapons had risen, Zelenskyy said through an interpreter: 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to say.鈥�
He questioned whether Putin had enough control over the Russian campaign to direct a tactical nuclear strike. The Russians found it 鈥渉ard to control everything that is happening in their country, just as they鈥檙e not controlling everything they have on the battlefield,鈥� Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said Putin understood that the 鈥渨orld will never forgive鈥� a Russian nuclear strike.
鈥淗e understands that after the use of nuclear weapons he would be unable any more to preserve, so to speak, his life, and I鈥檓 confident of that,鈥� Zelensky said.
Rod Mcguirk, The Associated Press
