Nuclear fears have emerged yet again after Russian president Vladimir Putin, in a conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, referenced the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear attacks. There have been ongoing fears that Moscow will resort to a nuclear attack on Ukraine.

According to DailyMail, Russian president Putin told France's Macron that the nuclear bombings in Japan – which prompted the island nation to surrender at the end of the Second World War – showed “you don’t need to attack the major cities in order to win”. In 1945, the United States killed over 350,000 people and disrupted the future of Japan when it dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainians Face Nuclear Threat with Grit and Dark Humour.

The nuclear fears have escalated in recent months as the Russian invasion of Ukraine suffered a series of major setbacks. Sources said that after Putin made reference to Japan, Macron was distinctly alarmed. It sounded like a very heavy hint that Moscow might drop a nuclear weapon in eastern Ukraine, sources added. Nuclear War Inevitable? Russia May Detonate Nuclear Weapon Over Black Sea As Vladimir Putin Preparing To Declare Full-Fledged War On Ukraine, Say Reports.

However, Macron has categorically ruled out being drawn into a nuclear war with Russia. Last month, he was quoted as saying that France “evidently” would not make a move if Russia launched a nuclear attack on Ukraine. “France has a nuclear doctrine that is based on the vital interests of the country and which are clearly defined. These would not be at stake if there was a nuclear ballistic attack in Ukraine or in the region,” the French president had said.

Russia's increasing aggressiveness comes after Ukrainian forces attacked a key bridge between Russia and Crimea. Apart from this, more and more western nations are still backing Ukraine amid the war with Russia. In the background, the rumours had it that security agencies fear that Putin may detonate a weapon over the Black Sea in order to spread panic without igniting a full nuclear war.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 06, 2022 03:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).