Putin Denies Russia Intends To Use N-Weapons In Ukraine

Accuses West Of Inciting War, Says World Entering Dangerous Decade

President Vladimir Putin-denied that Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons on Thursday as he reeled off a familiar litany of criticisms of a “cosmopolitan” Western elite seeking to dominate the rest of the world, using an annual foreign policy speech to try to appeal to conservatives in the US and Europe. “We have no need to do this,” Putin said. “There’s no sense for us, neither political nor military.” It was unclear if Putin’s comment was the last word on Moscow’s plans. From the start of the war, Russian officials’ comments have presented a confusing mix of truths. Officials insisted in February, for instance, that Russia had no intention of invading Ukraine just before Russian troops crossed the border.