In Washington, Putin's nuclear threats are raising alarm

In a speech on Friday, Mr Putin raised the prospect again,

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Branding the U S & Nato as enemies bent on Russia's collapse

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and reiterating that he would use "all available means" to defend Russian territory

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and reiterating that he would use "all available means" to defend Russian territory

which he now declared included four provinces

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Putin reminded the world of President Harry S. Truman's decision 77 years ago to drop atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan

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Putin reminded the world of President Harry S. Truman's decision 77 years ago to drop atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan

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adding: "By the way, they set a precedent."

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On Saturday, the strongman leader of the southern Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov

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said Mr. Putin should consider using "

low-yield nuclear weapons” in Ukraine, becoming the first major Russian official to openly call for such a strike.

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