This is CBS.

I am John Bachelorette, with Gregory Coppley, a defense and foreign affairs.

We go to a Newsweek article that points to language used by Vladimir Putin in his

address to the nation and subsequently about nuclear weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow, quote, must take into account the, quote,

nuclear potential of NATO countries like the UK and France as well as the US.

Onward, the president said that right now what we're looking at is a situation where the

Russian state is at risk from nuclear weapons.

This is a exaggeration, but at the same time it's the words of a man who's in total control

of the Russian military from the outside.

Putin said, quote, all the leading NATO countries have declared their main goal to inflict

a strategic defeat on us so that our people suffer.

Gregory, the constant references to nuclear weapons by Vladimir Putin has been in place for

a year.

And it's come to, he does it again, leaving out tactical nukes or postponing or sideline

in the start treaty.

What is he talking about?

Because over the years we've talked about nuclear weapons as useless on the battlefield.

But Vladimir Putin has, is trying to say, I believe, is that this war is existential for

Russia's continued existence.

He felt that, and he warned the West, basically the last few decades, do not come close with

NATO, do not try to establish NATO in our region and of influence, and don't try to particularly

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