The Russian president stayed silent when asked about this possibility
Russian President Vladimir Putin jokingly became “lost in thought” when asked to follow up on comments he made in 2018 about Russians being the victims of aggression who would go to heaven in the event of a nuclear apocalypse.
During Thursday’s Valdai Discussion Club event in Moscow, moderator Fyodor Lukyanov told the Russian president that “we grew a bit worried remembering your comments made here four years ago when you said that we would all go to heaven.”
“We’re not in a hurry to get there, are we?,” Lukyanov asked.
Putin stayed silent for a couple of seconds, as some audience members laughed. The moderator broke the silence by stating, “Now that you are lost in thought it’s getting alarming.”
The president laughed and said, “I intentionally got lost in thought to alarm you,” adding that “the effect has been achieved.”
In 2018, the Russian leader was asked about the likelihood of a nuclear war. He responded by saying that Moscow, in accordance with its doctrine back then, could not launch a preemptive nuclear strike and could only conduct a counter attack. Russia would launch its nuclear warheads only after confirming that a potential aggressor had launched ones targeting Russian territory, the president explained.
Read more