The United States on Thursday qualified as “irresponsible” the statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned the West about the “real threat” of nuclear war in the event of an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, reports AFP.

“This is not the first time we have observed Vladimir Putin’s irresponsible rhetoric. This is not the way to speak on behalf of the leader of a nuclear-weapon state,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

In a speech that lasted more than two hours on Thursday, the Kremlin leader addressed Westerners, telling them that “they must understand that we also have weapons capable of hitting targets on their territory. All they are concocting now, in addition to what scares the whole world, is the real threat of conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization.”

The American official recalled that “in the past we have privately and directly communicated with Russia regarding the consequences of using nuclear weapons.”

“We have no signs that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons,” said the State Department spokesman.

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