AFP quoted Mr. Putin's statement broadcast on state television today (March 13) that Russia's nuclear triad is "more modern than any other triad".
“Only we and the United States really have such trios. And we have made much more progress,” Mr. Putin added.
The triad is defined as a three-pronged mechanism for delivering nuclear weapons from land, sea and air.
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On the Russian side, the country's nuclear triad includes intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-armed submarines and strategic bombers.
Meanwhile, the US deterrence system includes land-launched ballistic missiles, nuclear bombs from strategic bombers and nuclear missiles on submarines.
According to Mr Putin, Moscow's nuclear weapons are fully ready. He said that "from a military- technical point of view", his country is prepared for the possibility of using them in case of a threat to the country's existence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin during an interview in Moscow on March 12
However, he stressed that Russia has no need to use this type of weapon in Ukraine and has never had such an idea, RT reported.
Russia is believed to possess more than 5,000 nuclear warheads, the world's largest stockpile. Meanwhile, according to statistics from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), as of 2023, the US currently has about 3,700 warheads of this type.
The West has accused Russia of reckless nuclear rhetoric since it launched its military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022, CBS News reported.
In the same interview published today, Mr. Putin warned that if the United States continued nuclear testing, Russia might consider doing the same. He also said that Western countries sending troops and weapons to Ukraine would not change the situation on the battlefield.
The comments were said to be aimed at French President Emmanuel Macron's remarks last month, saying he "does not rule out" sending troops to Ukraine.
In a temporary effort to ensure its ally does not run out of ammunition, the US announced it would use savings from other arms deals to send a $300 million aid package to Ukraine.
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