Muratov said Putin might resort to nuclear weapons if he cannot achieve victory.

Muratov: Putin Cannot Win, So He Will Resort to Nuclear Weapons

Dmitry Muratov, Nobel laureate and former editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta (a media outlet whose credentials were revoked in 2022), made a public statement during an interview with BBC journalist Steve Rosenberg, drawing international attention.

He stated that Russia cannot achieve victory on the battlefield in Ukraine, and resorting to nuclear weapons will be inevitable.

"There will never be a victory. The conflict has already lasted nearly five years, and regardless of the outcome, it no longer counts as a win. Hundreds of thousands have died between two Slavic peoples—this cannot be considered a victory. Ukraine can be destroyed, but it cannot be conquered. And when I say 'destroy,' I mean the situation escalating continuously until nuclear weapons are used."

When asked whether the Kremlin is truly prepared for a nuclear strike, he replied:

"All political experts claiming 'Putin thinks this way' or 'Putin fears nuclear war' are charlatans. No one knows Vladimir Putin's true inner thoughts. I can only rely on publicly available data. This year alone, mentions of using nuclear weapons have exceeded 500 times across official Russian state television channels and even at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum."

Muratov also rejected Western analysts' claims of a split within Russia's elite class, emphasizing that the country's leadership fully controls the vertical power structure, and officials harbor fear toward them.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873452299727939/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.