US, Norwegian Officials Concerned Russia Could Deploy Nuclear Weapons in Response to Ukrainian Counteroffensive

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the U.S. Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Dec. 21, 2022. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

A U.S. State Department official and two Norwegian defense-focused politicians are concerned that Russian President Vladimir Putin might deploy a nuclear weapon in response to Ukraine’s planned spring counteroffensive, set to begin in weeks.

The Ukrainian military plans to go on the offensive as soon as Western tanks and long-range rockets arrive, which could be as soon as April, according to Kyiv’s minister of internal affairs Anton Gerashchenko. Its primary regional target will be Russian-occupied Crimea, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to take back on Feb. 26.