Putin: We have the strength to bring the war in Ukraine to a 'logical conclusion', I hope there will be no need for nuclear weapons

(Patria) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement released today that there has been no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine and that he hopes there will be no such need.

In part of an interview for Russian state television, published on Telegram, Putin said that Russia has the strength and means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a "logical conclusion".

Responding to a journalist's question about Ukrainian attacks on Russia, Putin said: "There was no need to use that (nuclear) weapon... and I hope there will be no need."

- We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome that Russia demands - Putin said.

Putin ordered tens of thousands of Russian troops to enter Ukraine in February 2022, in what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation" against its neighbor.

Although Russian forces were repelled from Kyiv, they currently control about 20 percent of Ukraine, including much of the south and east.

Putin has expressed readiness in recent weeks for negotiations on a peace settlement, as US President Donald Trump has said he wants to end the conflict through diplomatic means.

Fear of nuclear escalation has been a factor in the thinking of US officials since Russia attacked Ukraine in early 2022.

Former CIA Director William Burns said that in late 2022 there was a real risk that Russia could use nuclear weapons against Ukraine.