We are aware of what nuclear weapons are," Putin said at a meeting of his human rights council. "When we are struck, we strike back," Putin said, stressing that Moscow's strategy was based on a so-called retaliatory strike policy. "We think any loose talk of nuclear weapons is absolutely irresponsible," US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, however, declared that the risk of nuclear weapons being used in the Ukraine conflict has lessened, thanks to international pressure on Russia. "New territories appeared — well, this is still a significant result for Russia," Putin said, referring to the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
