LONDON—An ally of President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday outlined the scenario of a nuclear strike on Ukraine, saying that the U.S.–led NATO military alliance would be too scared of a ‘nuclear apocalypse’ to directly enter the conflict in response.
Dmitry Medvedev, a former president who now serves as deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said Russia had the right to defend itself with nuclear weapons if it is pushed beyond its limits and that this is “certainly not a bluff.”