Pistorius on Putin's nuclear threats: Do not take them too seriously

Boris Pistorius (Photo: Getty Images)

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Russian President Volodymyr Putin's nuclear threats should not be taken too seriously, as reported by Tagesschau.

Pistorius sees no risk of escalation of nuclear threats from Putin.

"We should not allow ourselves to be deceived by every statement of his," he said at a NATO nuclear planning group meeting in Brussels.

Pistorius continued, saying Putin has a particular way of waging hybrid warfare. "Sometimes he threatens, sometimes he entices, sometimes he appears irritated, and then aggressive again," he said.

Germany and NATO will have to learn to deal with this and continue the course of supporting Ukraine, as well as their own defense and deterrence, Pistorius added.

Putin's nuclear bluff

After the start of the war against Ukraine, Putin has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons. According to a survey by the Levada Center (an independent polling center in Russia), about 30% of Russians expect Putin to launch a nuclear strike on Ukraine.

However, Ukrainians consider Russia's nuclear blackmail a bluff, and Ukraine is among the countries least fearful of nuclear threats.

Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Russia could attack NATO by 2029, using this as grounds to propose reintroducing 6-month military service in the German army.