UK Defense Secretary: We are not intimidated by Putin's nuclear rhetoric

This was stated in a brief interview with Ukrinform by the UK Secretary of State for Defense John Healey, who visited Kyiv on Wednesday, December 18.

When asked about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's attempts to impose his own rules on the West through nuclear threats, Healey replied:

"First, we cannot be intimidated by Putin's rhetoric or his escalation, and we're not."

He added that the purpose of his visit to Kyiv was to discuss with Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, the shared plan to strengthen Ukraine.

This involves bolstering Ukraine "not just now, immediately in the battle that you're still waging, but also throughout 2025 and beyond," the British minister explained.

"That's the way also of saying to Putin that we will stand with Ukraine and we will work to coordinate other countries to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," Healey stressed.

He expressed confidence that Putin "will not prevail, however long it takes."

"This is about making Ukraine strong and putting pressure on Putin. That's the imperative, that's the requirement for us to work together in the weeks and months ahead," the British Defense Minister concluded.

Earlier reports indicated that Russian media have mentioned the possibility of using nuclear weapons over 5,500 times since February 2022.

In an interview with Ukrinform, Patrick Turner, Head of the NATO Representation to Ukraine, stated that despite Moscow’s nuclear threats amid its aggressive war against Ukraine, NATO considers it irresponsible to engage in rhetorical games but continues to take nuclear deterrence measures.

Moreover, he noted that NATO monitors what is happening on the ground and particularly Russia’s nuclear doctrine, and currently sees no signs of preparations for any shift in Russia's nuclear policy.