Russian President Vladimir Putin has said there could be no winners in a nuclear war and no such war should ever be started, APA reports.
The Kremlin leader made the comment in a letter to participants of a conference on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), more than five months into Ukraine conflict.
“We proceed from the fact that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed, and we stand for equal and indivisible security for all members of the world community,” he said.
The United Nations is holding the 10th review conference of the treaty, which came into force in 1970.
The review is being held amid rising concerns about the spread of nuclear technology, especially in Iran and North Korea, and China’s rapid expansion of its nuclear arsenal.
Putin’s letter to the NPT forum appeared aimed at striking a reassuring note and portraying Russia as a responsible nuclear power.
They contrasted with earlier statements by Putin and other Russian politicians that have been interpreted in the West as implicit nuclear threats.
