Putin says he “hopes” nuclear weapons “in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that he hoped that nuclear weapons in Ukraine will not be needed.

During an interview with the Russian government media, which was shared with the Associated Press, Putin said the country has “sufficient force and means to bring what began in 2022 to a logical result with the result required by Russia.”

When asked about Ukrainian strikes in Russian territory, Putin replied, “There is no need to use these (nuclear) weapons … and I hope it is not required.”

Putin also denied the allegations that Russia launched a large -scale invasion against Ukraine during its inclusion of 2014 of the Crimea Peninsula, describing it as a “special military operation.”

“The country was not ready for such an front confrontation with the entire collective West,” he said, adding that he “honestly sought to solve the Donbas problem with peaceful means.”

Putin noted that Ukrainian reconciliation and Russia are “inevitable.”

Putin’s data comes after US officials signed a long -awaited metal deal with Ukrainian officials last week to secure safety guarantees as the conflict continues. The agreement will give access to oil, natural gas, rare ground minerals and other Ukrainian resources in exchange for aid, which has become decisive in its defense against Russia.

However, Foreign Minister Marco Rubio said that a peace agreement between the two countries is still in this process.

“I think we know where Ukraine is, and we know the location of Russia now and where [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. “They are still far apart. They are closer, but they are still far apart,” Luan Hanity of Fox News said on Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.