‘We Have Ample Force’: Putin Rules Out Nuclear Use In Ukraine, Hopes For US Reciprocity Before Trump Call

<p>Russia has sufficient military strength to achieve its objectives in Ukraine without resorting to nuclear weapons, President Vladimir Putin has said in a televised interview to a Kremlin correspondent from State TV.&nbsp;&ldquo;Several attempts were made to force us to make this mistake (the use of nuclear weapons) but we have ample force to achieve objectives without this option,&rdquo; President Putin remarked during the interview, which will be broadcast on Sunday night.</p>
<p>According to news agency PTI, he added that the goals of Russia&rsquo;s campaign are &ldquo;about the elimination of the original causes of this crisis, the formation of conditions for long-lasting and sustainable peace and the provision of security to Russia&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Reiterating his earlier stance from February 2022 at the onset of the conflict, Putin recalled the original aims of &ldquo;denazification and demilitarisation of the former Soviet republic and its neutral status&rdquo;. He further emphasised that &ldquo;long-lasting peace and protection of rights of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine must be the core result of Russia&rsquo;s special military operation&rdquo;.</p>
<p>Putin has frequently urged for a resolution to the Ukraine conflict that considers Russia&rsquo;s security concerns. &ldquo;This is the only way to establish long-term peace, which is what Moscow wants,&rdquo; Russian news agency TASS reported, citing the president&rsquo;s remarks.</p>
<h3>Ahead of Trump Call, Putin Says &lsquo;We Respect US Interests, Hope for Same Treatment&rsquo;</h3>
<p>The interview was scheduled for broadcast a day ahead of a phone call between Putin and United States President Donald Trump, set for Monday, to discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This follows the failure of ceasefire talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations held in Istanbul on May 16.</p>
<p>Putin signalled Moscow&rsquo;s willingness to consider American interests and hoped for a reciprocal approach. &ldquo;Americans, the entire population of America and the US leadership, including the president, have their own national interests, and we respect that. We hope that we will be treated in the same way,&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p>According to TASS, discussions between Putin and US President&rsquo;s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have reportedly led to some understanding on key issues including the status of Crimea, Russian-occupied territories, and Ukraine&rsquo;s non-admission into NATO. However, contentious points remain over the demilitarisation of Ukraine and the deployment of foreign troops as a &ldquo;reassurance force&rdquo; on Ukrainian territory.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry reported that Ukraine&rsquo;s daily troop losses in the special military operation zone have reached up to 1,245 personnel. Over the last 24 hours, Russian forces launched major strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure across 139 locations, TASS added.</p>