"Putin Warns of Nuclear War Threat if NATO Intervenes in Ukraine"

During his State of the Nation address, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons against NATO countries if they send forces to help defend Ukraine, warning of "tragic consequences" and boasting about Russia's advanced hypersonic nuclear-capable weapons. He also criticized Western leaders and hinted at the possibility of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, while projecting confidence in Russia's victory in Ukraine. The speech comes at a sensitive moment politically, on the eve of the burial of Putin's main political rival Alexei Navalny, who was barred from running against Putin in the 2018 presidential election, poisoned in 2020, jailed in 2021, and died in prison on Feb. 16.