Putin says he hopes that Russia does not have to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and he hopes that this is not the case.

In comments that were broadcast in a film of Russian state television over its quarter of a century on Sunday, Putin said that Russia had the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine into a “logical conclusion”.

Putin answered a question about the Ukrainian strikes on the Russian territory:

“We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the result that Russia requires,” he said.

In November 2024, Putin signed a revised version of the Russia’s nuclear doctrine, in which he explained the circumstances that enable him to use the nuclear arsenal in Moscow, the world’s largest. This version lowered the bar and gave him this option in response to a conventional attack that was supported by nuclear power.

Read more: Putin officially lowers the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons

In the film, Putin also said that Russia did not describe a complete invasion of the Ukraine-Was as a “special military operation” when the Crimea illegally annexed it because it was “practically unrealistic”.

“The country was not ready for such a frontal confrontation with the entire collective west,” he said. He also claimed that Russia “sincerely tried to solve Donbas’s problem in a peaceful way”.

Putin said that reconciliation with Ukraine was “inevitable”.

“He should think about ending his war”

However, Russia and Ukraine contradict competing proposals of ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a ceasefire was “even possible from today” if Moscow is serious to end the war.

Zelenskyy was at a joint press conference on Sunday with Czech President Petr Pavel and found that Russia ignored a US proposal for a full ceasefire for 54 days and thanked the Czech Republic for the support of the Ukraine call after a 30-day ceasefire.

“Putin strives to show his tanks at the (Victory Day) Parade,” said Zelenskyy, “but he should think about ending his war.”

Zelenskyy once again pressed deeply skepticism about the proposal for Russia to mark a 72-hour armistice in Ukraine on the day of the victory in World War II, and said that Moscow continues to start hundreds of attacks, although she publicly publicly signals interest in partial arms.

REGARD: Russia offers short -term ceasefire

“Even during Easter, Russia carried out more than a hundred attacks despite the promise of the United States,” said Zelenskyy and one-sidedly referred to Russian attacks during the 30-hour Easter ceasefire.

Zelenskyy repeatedly demanded a more extensive 30-day break in hostility, as the United States originally proposed.

The Kremlin said that the armistice on the winning day was on humanitarian reasons and will lead from the beginning of May to the end of May 10th to the end of May 10th against Mark Moscow against Nazi Germany in 1945 – Russia’s largest secular holiday.

Zelenskyy thanked Pavel for the military support of his country and said Ukraine hoped to receive 1.8 million artillery mussels as part of a Czech initiative as part of a Czech initiative. The initiative, which was introduced in 2024 and alleged by the NATO allied, delivered Ukraine with 1.5 million artillery rounds last year.

Zelenskyy also said that he had discussed “the next steps in the development of our aviation coalition” with Pavel, namely the creation of an F-16 training school. He said that such a basis for Russian attacks in Ukraine could not be opened.

Firefighters work at the site of a Russian drone attack at Russia’s attack on Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 4, 2025. Photo by Olga Yakimovich/Reuters

Attacks on Ukraine continue

A Russian drone attack overnight in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv injured 11 people, said Ukraine’s state emergency service on Sunday. Two children were among the wounded.

The attack woke up Valentya Fesiuk, an 83-year-old inhabitant of Kyiv’s Obolon District.

“I just slept when the house was shaking,” said Valentya Fesiuk, an 83-year-old inhabitant of Kyiv’s Obolon District. “It was at 12:30 p.m.. An apartment in the 12th floor caught fire,” she told the Associated Press.

Another resident, Viacheslav Khotab, saw his car burning. “I was covered with broken glass,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything.”

The 54-year-old was frustrated with blocked peace negotiations: “You can not agree on anything and we are the ones who suffer from the consequences.”

REGARD: Russian attacks on Kyiv make the US efforts more difficult to end the war in Ukraine

Daryna Kravchuk, an 18-year-old student in the district, described how “five to six minutes after activating the air raid, everything started to tremble. … there were almost three strikes in a row after the air raid was activated.”

“It is very scary to testify, we have suffered from it for so long. People only suffer all the time. … It is still very difficult to see that our country is constantly being destroyed,” she told the AP.

Two people were killed by Russian -guided bombs on Sunday, each in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy, said local officials.

Russia released a total of 165 exploding drones and decoys overnight, said the Air Force Ukraine. 69 of these were intercepted and another 80 were lost because they were probably electronically disturbed. Russia also started two ballistic rockets.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said its air defenses had shot down 13 Ukrainian drones overnight.