Ukrainian activist says Putin’s nuclear threat has ‘put Russia on the brink’

A political activist in Ukraine says Vladimir Putin’s threat of a nuclear attack “has put Russia on the brink of a future collapse”.

Ostap Kryvdyk, an activist and former advisor to the speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, says the Russian President’s decision to put nuclear forces in high alert on should be taken seriously.

“It probably says that Putin is desperate that his non-nuclear force has somewhat failed, so he has to threaten the whole world with the nukes,” he told Neil Mitchell.

Mr Kryvdyk says the nuclear threat has serious implications for Russia’s future.

“I think with the nuclear blackmail, Putin has put Russia on the brink of a future collapse, so Russian statehood may collapse,” he said.

“It might sound fantastic as of now, but the Soviet Union didn’t really fully collapse yet. What we are witnessing is something like Milosevic did when former Yugoslavia collapsed, he tried to recollect it back and he failed badly.

“That is what is happening with Russia right now.”

Mr Kryvdyk says Putin is trying to blackmail the West to force Ukraine to surrender.

“I am convinced that those leaders of the free world will not do that. They will not force the weaker to capitulate to the stronger,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear why Mr Kryvdyk thinks Russia ‘on the brink’ of a statehood collapse

Russian nuclear forces on high alert as Ukraine announces peace talks