Are Nato countries taking Putin’s threat seriously?

The United States immediately denounced the latest escalation by the Russian President. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said: “President Putin is continuing to escalate this war in a manner that is totally unacceptable.”

Liz Truss, Britain’s Foreign Secretary, had earlier warned any use by Russia of its tactical battlefield nuclear weapons against Ukrainian forces would represent an “extremely serious escalation” of the conflict.

On Monday morning, Ben Wallace, the UK’s Defence Secretary, accused Russia of posturing. 

“We’ve looked at their posture. There isn’t a significant change,” he said on LBC radio, adding that the Russian leader was trying to “flex muscles” with his invasion of Ukraine bogged down.

Mr Wallace said he had assured his 12-year-old son: “No, we’re not going to have a nuclear war.

“What I’ve said to him is, look, President Putin is dealing at the moment in a rhetoric, he wants to distract from what’s gone wrong in Ukraine, and he wants us all to be reminded that he has a nuclear deterrent.”

The Nato chief, Jens Stoltenberg, said: “This is dangerous rhetoric and irresponsible behaviour on Putin’s part.”

What nuclear weapons does Russia have?

Russia inherited about 35,000 nuclear weapons after the fall of the USSR and now has the world’s largest stockpile of non-strategic nuclear weapons.

About 90 per cent of the world’s nuclear weapons are owned by Russia and the United States.

The Federation of American Scientists says that Russia leads the world with 6,200 nuclear weapons. The US has 5,600, France has 290 and the UK has 225.

Russia deploys 1,456 strategic warheads on 527 intercontinental ballistic missiles, bombers, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. It is in the process of modernising its nuclear delivery system and entire arsenal.

Moscow is limited to 1,550 strategic warheads under the START arms reduction treaty, which was extended for five years in January 2021. The US has 1,357 warheads on 665 missiles and bombers. 

Some estimates claim Russia has another 2,889 strategic warheads in reserve, with the US having 1,964. 

The federation estimates the Russian stockpile consists of about 4,497 nuclear weapons with a further 1,760 retired bombs awaiting dismantlement.

The UK has about 225 strategic warheads. It is thought 120 are deployed and another 105 are in storage. The nuclear deterrent is sea-based on four Trident ballistic missile submarines.