Russian President

continues to threaten the world with the use of nuclear weapons.

The head of the Kremlin claims that it was the Western countries that arranged "nuclear blackmail" against the Russian Federation, thus, in the event of a threat to its territorial integrity, it is ready to "use all available means."

Moreover, speaking about the "territorial integrity of the Russian Federation", Putin also alludes to the occupied Ukrainian territories.

The Ukrainian authorities take Putin's statements seriously, and the US and the EU remind the Kremlin of the possible catastrophic consequences of this decision.

In Moscow, meanwhile, they continue to stir up hysteria to show that their threats are not just a bluff.

TSN.ua investigated whether the nuclear threat is real.

The Russian Federation continues to intimidate Ukraine and the West

The Deputy Head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation

, who is trying to surpass the late Volodymyr Zhirynovskyi with scandalous statements, expressed confidence that the West will not intervene in the event of the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine.

"

. No one asks for permission, without lengthy consultations. And this is definitely not a bluff," Medvedev noted.

He expressed his belief that in the event of the use of tactical nuclear weapons, "NATO will not directly intervene in the conflict."

"Overseas and European demagogues are not going to die in a nuclear apocalypse. Therefore, they will swallow the use of any weapon in the current conflict," he said.

Earlier, Medvedev threatened to use "all methods of self-defense" after the "referendums" in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

In turn, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, stated that all Russian laws and doctrines, including the nuclear one, will also apply to the territories of Ukraine annexed through fake "referendums" in case they are enshrined in the Russian constitution.

What they say at Zelenskyi

President of Ukraine

takes Putin's threats seriously. 

"Maybe yesterday it was a bluff. Now it could be a reality... He (Putin - ed.) wants to scare the whole world.

. I think the world is holding him back and deters this threat. We need to continue to put pressure on him and not allow him to continue," the Ukrainian president said in an interview with CBS News.

In an article for Ukrinform, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

stated that at the 

, which is already directly visible the prospect of the Third World War, cannot be completely excluded.

With this in mind, Zaluzhny strongly recommends that world leaders, and not just allies, thwart Russia's attempts to use tactical nuclear weapons.

"Any attempts to take practical steps regarding the use of nuclear weapons must be stopped using the entire arsenal of means at the disposal of the countries of the world," he insists.

Foreign Minister

called the statements of Putin and Lavrov about the possible use of nuclear weapons "absolutely irresponsible and unacceptable."

, adviser to the head of the President's Office,

also believes that other nuclear powers should respond to Putin's threats. 

"Veiled threats with nuclear weapons from the UN rostrum by a member of the UN Security Council is a greater mockery of global institutions than can be imagined. Nuclear threats of the Russian Federation are a problem not of Ukraine, but of the whole world. The members of the Nuclear Club should outline the consequences for Russia. "Pandora's box" should be closed ", he emphasized.

The West is closely monitoring the situation

On September 26, US President

's administration press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre commented on the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons and assessed the reality of Putin's threats.

"As for the evidence [of nuclear preparations],

We take these threats very seriously, but we haven't seen any reason to change our own level of nuclear readiness at this stage," - said Jean-Pierre.

She also recalled that both President Biden himself and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasized that Putin's nuclear threats against Europe are irresponsible and reckless. 

US Secretary of State

spoke more harshly.

According to him, the United States "spoke very clearly with the Russians, publicly and privately, to stop talking about nuclear weapons."

EU foreign policy 

 said threats to use nuclear weapons should not be underestimated.

According to him, the war has reached a "dangerous moment".

German Chancellor

called Putin's statements an act of desperation .

"The latest decision of the Russian government is an act of desperation. Russia cannot win this criminal war, and with the latest decisions, Putin and Russia are only making things worse. He completely underestimated the situation from the beginning, the resistance of Ukrainians and their willingness to resist, as well as the unity and determination of Ukraine's friends." , - said the head of the German government.

Will Putin move from threats to action: experts' opinions

Military expert

expressed the opinion that the USA could strike Russia pre-emptively through nuclear blackmail.

"Putin brandishes nuclear weapons, but the US shows clear confidence that there will be a response. Joe Biden is believed to have taken the same position as Kennedy at the time when there was a Caribbean crisis. Then there was a statement that if the USSR used nuclear weapons, America would respond . Joe Biden has now said the same thing to the Putin administration. The point is that if there is an attempt. I emphasize that in the event of an attempt to use nuclear weapons, the United States can launch a preemptive strike on the Russian Federation. At the same time, not only with conventional weapons, but also with nuclear weapons," Zhdanov explained. 

The military expert recalled that for this purpose the USA raised special planes that "hunt" for nuclear missiles. 

The former head of the Foreign Ministry ,

, believes that Putin may well use nuclear weapons as a "last argument". 

"I take Putin's threats seriously, I consider their application unlikely, but I don't think he won't apply them. I know that our allies are also watching this carefully and they perfectly understand that Putin has a lot of great power, revanchism, and history in his head , which he invented for himself, the understanding that the regime will crumble if he continues to act," he said.

Klimkin hopes that "Putin's entourage understands that, cornered, he can use anything, and they will have to answer for it together with him."

Russian political scientist and publicist

said that the West threatened Putin with physical destruction in the event of the use of nuclear weapons.

Putin was told that because of the use of nuclear weapons, the West is not capitulating, but on the contrary, it will be ready to use tactical nuclear weapons and other means and will deal a devastating blow to Russia, including Putin.

Simply put, he was told that he would be killed if he used nuclear weapons.

He will be killed personally.

That's why this card is already broken," said Piontkovskyi.

Read also:

• Russia "planned" purchases of iodine against the background of nuclear threats: what is known

• "Putin is angry and humiliated, so he is capable of any decisions" - a Western expert

• Where will Russia aim and what might a nuclear strike on Ukraine look like: analysts' forecast