(CNN) — The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskytold CNN on Friday that “every country in the world” must be prepared for the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use nuclear weapons tactics in its war against Ukraine.
Zelensky told CNN’s Jake Tapper, in an exclusive interview from the president’s office in Kyiv on Friday, that Putin might resort to nuclear or chemical weapons because he does not value the lives of the people of Ukraine.
“Not just me, but the whole world, all the countries have to be worried because it might not be real information, but it might be true,” Zelensky said, speaking in English.
“Chemical weapons… they should, they could, for them the lives of the people, [no significa] any. That is why,” Zelensky said, “we should think about not being afraid, not being afraid, but being prepared. But that is not a question of Ukraine, it is not unique to Ukraine, but to the whole world, I think.”
Zelensky has been in Ukraine for the past 50 days of war with Russia, As Ukrainian forces have resisted the Kremlin’s attempts to take Kyiv and forced Russia to redirect its war efforts toward eastern regions and the south of the country, where Ukraine expects a significant escalation of fighting in the coming days.
This week one of the Warships Russia’s major assets in the Black Sea, which Ukraine says was the result of a missile attack, while Russia claimed it was due to an ammunition detonation fire.
At the same time, Russia is firing cruise missiles at the outskirts of Kyiv and still maintains the ability to attack the Ukrainian capital with long-range weapons.
US officials have warned of the possibility of Putin resorting to the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, if cornered. CIA Director Bill Burns said Thursday that the CIA is “very carefully” monitoring that possibility, while stressing that the US has yet to see any signs that Russia is preparing to take such a step.
“Given the possible desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks they have suffered so far on the military front, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons or nuclear weapons. low-yield nuclear weapons,” he said in public remarks at Georgia Tech.
You can watch more of the interview on ‘The Lead’ at 4pm ET and the full interview will air Sunday at 9am ET on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ in English.