EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell told the BBC on Saturday that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin could use nuclear weapons if Moscow’s forces are “pushed into a corner.” Borrell called for a peace deal, but his suggested agreement is likely a non-starter.
The conflict in Ukraine has reached a “dangerous moment,” the diplomat told the British broadcaster. “It’s a dangerous moment because the Russian army has been pushed into a corner, and Putin’s reaction – threatening using nuclear arms – it’s very bad.”
Borrell’s claim that the Russian military has been cornered is likely based on the fact that Ukraine managed to capture a large swath of land in the region of Kharkov earlier this month. However, Ukraine’s numerically superior force still took high casualties against a comparatively small contingent of Russian and allied forces, who withdrew without suffering heavy losses, according to Moscow.
In the wake of the Ukrainian offensive, Putin on Wednesday announced a partial mobilization of some 300,000 troops, a number Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said amounts to 1% of the country’s full mobilization potential.