Serbia's Vucic says Putin is not bluffing on nuclear weapons
Aleksandar Vucic said he had warned Western leaders that Vladimir Putin would respond with nuclear weapons to any direct attack by the US, Europe or Britain.
Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic said Russian President Vladimir Putin is not bluffing when he talks about using nuclear weapons, and that he has told Western leaders as much, Romanian outlet Mediafax reported, citing a transcript by Clash Report.
"When people started saying Putin is lying about using nuclear weapons, I told everyone in the West: Putin is not lying at all," Vucic said. He added that Putin would respond with nuclear weapons to any direct attack from the United States, Europe or Britain, though he said no one wants to use them "just like that".
Vucic said many people believe NATO is stronger than Russia and assume Putin would never use nuclear weapons under any circumstances, calling that assumption "a very big error of judgement" if true. He stepped down as Serbia's president on 27 September, seven months before his term was due to end, opening the way for early parliamentary elections on 25 October; he has said he wants Serbia to join the EU while maintaining close ties with Russia and facilitating large Chinese investment in the country.
Separately, former chess world champion and Kremlin critic Garry Kasparov warned that Russia may be preparing to escalate aggression against NATO countries, Albanian outlet Gazeta Express reported, citing an interview he gave Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Russian service in Warsaw on 11 October. Kasparov, who leads the Free Russia Forum, said Putin's goal remains to eliminate Ukraine as an independent state and that current peace efforts are pointless because Putin has not abandoned that aim.
Kasparov's warning comes as Western officials have raised concerns about a possible Russian hybrid campaign involving drone incursions, sabotage and assassination attempts, Gazeta Express reported; the Kremlin has repeatedly denied involvement in incidents Western officials have blamed on it. Kasparov said he has been warned by US authorities of a Kremlin plot to kill him, and that his organisation has raised about 15 million dollars for projects in Ukraine, including support for two armed Russian groups fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.
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What we know
- 1 outlet · Mediafax Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic said Putin is not bluffing about using nuclear weapons and would respond with them to any direct attack by the US, Europe or Britain, Mediafax reported.
- 1 outlet · Mediafax Vucic resigned as president on 27 September, ahead of early parliamentary elections on 25 October.
- 1 outlet · Gazeta Express Garry Kasparov separately warned that Russia may be preparing to escalate aggression against NATO countries, in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Gazeta Express reported.
- 1 outlet · Gazeta Express Kasparov said Putin's aim remains to eliminate Ukraine as an independent state, and that he has been warned by US authorities of a Kremlin plot against his life.
- 2+ outlets · Gazeta Express, Mediafax Western officials have raised concerns about a possible Russian hybrid campaign of drone incursions, sabotage and assassination attempts; the Kremlin denies involvement in incidents it has been blamed for.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed Kasparov's claim that his group persuaded 15 Republican members of the US Congress to change their votes, which he said was not independently confirmed
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Russia has repeatedly raised the threat of nuclear weapons to discourage Western military support for Ukraine, approving a 2024 doctrine that lowers the threshold for their use and extends its nuclear umbrella to Belarus. A warning of this kind from a European head of government, alongside a prominent Kremlin critic's separate warning of possible hybrid aggression against NATO states, adds to a run of statements this week about Russia's intentions towards Europe.
Sources
Reported by 7 reports from 6 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- Gazeta Express: Kasparov paralajmëron: Rusia mund të përshkallëzojë agresionin kundër NATO-s
- Mediafax: Avertismentul de la granița României al unui lider apropiat de Rusia: Putin nu minte în legătură cu utilizarea armelor nucleare
- Meduza: Trump says he’s ready to meet with Putin and Xi, but he wants to talk about nuclear weapons, not Russia’s war with Ukraine
- Daily News Hungary: Kremlin sends message on Ukraine war as possible Putin-Trump-Xi summit emerges - Without Zelensky
- Kyiv Post: ‘Trump May Trade Ukraine for Putin’s Help on Iran’ – Ex-NATO Commander Warns of ‘Corrupt, Dangerous Bargain’
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What did Vucic say about Putin and nuclear weapons?
- He said Putin is not bluffing and would respond with nuclear weapons to any direct attack by the US, Europe or Britain, according to a transcript reported by Mediafax.
- Why did Vucic resign as Serbia's president?
- He stepped down on 27 September, seven months before his term ended, ahead of early parliamentary elections called for 25 October.
- What did Garry Kasparov warn about?
- He said Russia may be preparing to escalate aggression against NATO countries, and that Putin's goal remains eliminating Ukraine as an independent state, Gazeta Express reported.
This article was written with AI assistance from 6 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.