Putin warns again that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty is threatened

UNDATED (AP)- President Vladimir Putin says that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened. It was another blunt warning to the West just days before an election in which the Russian leader is all but certain to win another six-year term. Putin has repeatedly talked about his readiness to use nuclear weapons since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putin was asked in an interview with Russian state television released early Wednesday if he has ever considered using battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine. He responded that there has been no need. But Putin said that Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons in case of a threat to its sovereignty or independence.