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By Zoe Strozewski
Staff Writer
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Russian President Vladimir Putin may resort to nuclear weapons if he faces defeat in the Ukraine war, a top Italian defense official warned as concerns continue to circulate that Russia may further escalate the ongoing conflict.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto reportedly said in a recent interview that the "use of tactical nuclear energy is planned by Russia."
"It is unthinkable for us, and for Moscow—yes, if the point of no return is passed, if they risk defeat. In short, the danger potentially exists, although it is very unlikely," the minister said.
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Crosetto's comments were reported by the Ukrainian News Agency and the Italian newspaper il Fatto Quotidiano on Wednesday, though neither report specified exactly when he made the remarks.
Putin and his allies have made a series of direct or indirect threats of nuclear weapon use since the start of the Ukraine war in late February. These threats have suggested that Ukraine and even Western nations could be the targets of potential attacks.
Putin, for example, said during a televised address in September that he was willing to respond to what he described as the West's "nuclear blackmail" using his country's own weapons, strongly implying the possibility of nuclear strikes.
"If Russia feels its territorial integrity is threatened, we will use all defense methods at our disposal, and this is not a bluff," Putin said.
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Russian state television personalities have directly called for nuclear attacks on the U.K. and have even warned of a nuclear war that only "mutants" will survive as a potential result of NATO's continued aid for Ukraine throughout the conflict.
A Russian commander also suggested earlier this month that using nuclear weapons may be the only way that Putin can win his faltering war in Ukraine, which has now stretched on for more than 10 months and resulted in more than 100,000 estimated Russian troop losses.
Experts and officials have offered a wide range of opinions on whether Putin would actually follow through on his nuclear threats.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in October that Putin is "not joking" in his threats to escalate the Ukraine war by using tactical nuclear weapons or biological and chemical weapons because the Russian leader's army is "significantly underperforming."
Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, a former commanding general of the U.S. Army Europe, told the Kyiv Post in October that even though he takes the threat of nuclear war very seriously, it is "very unlikely" that Russia will resort to nuclear weapons in its war in Ukraine.
Hodges added that this is because the Kremlin and Russian military leaders know that they would face negative consequences after that type of escalation.
When contacted about Crosetto's remarks, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Newsweek in a statement: "We are not advocates of reasoning on nuclear topics. We believe that such discussions are harmful and even provocative. Our Special Military Operation is proceeding according to the plan and its goals will be achieved."
Update 12/30/22, 11 a.m. ET: This story was updated with a statement from Dmitry Peskov.
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