Raab Rejects Putin's Threat Of Nuclear War As 'Rhetoric'

Dominic Raab has dismissed fears that Vladimir Putin will use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine crisis, calling his threats “rhetoric and brinkmanship”. The Russian president alarmed the world by putting his arsenal on high alert – and the Kremlin was reported yesterday to have claimed that Ukraine was developing a dirty nuclear bomb.

- Rob Merrick

But, asked if that suggested Moscow was seeking an excuse to use battlefield nuclear weapons, Mr Raab replied: “I think it is rhetoric and brinkmanship.” The Russian president had “a track record of misinformation and propaganda”, the deputy prime minister said.

The comments came as Mr Raab also rejected calls for the UK to make a more generous offer to some of the million-plus refugees fleeing the conflict, saying it was “the wrong thing to do”. The UK has refused to waive visa rules – in stark contrast with the EU, which has offered asylum to all Ukrainians crossing its borders for the next three years.