Putin warns against catastrophic weapons use at Valdai forum

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned at the Valdai forum on 1 October that no one could be certain highly destructive weapons would never be used, and said such an outcome must be avoided. [2] [3]

In the same appearance, he said a direct attack on Russia, citing Kaliningrad as an example, would immediately put the use of all weapons at Moscow’s disposal on the agenda. He did not specify whether nuclear weapons would be used in that case. [8] [6]

Putin also predicted that international conflicts were very likely to continue in the coming years. He linked that risk to shifts in global power and said he believed a decline in Western dominance would eventually lead to a more stable international order. [2]