Putin Puts Nuclear Forces On High Alert, Escalating Tensions

In a dramatic escalation Russia-Ukraine Conflict, President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian nuclear forces on high alert Sunday in response to what he called “aggressive statements” by leading NATO powers.

The directive to put Russia’s nuclear weapons in an increased state of readiness for launch raises concerns that the crisis could boil over into nuclear warfare, whether by design or mistake.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity said Putin’s step is “potentially putting in play forces that, if there’s a miscalculation, could make things much, much more dangerous.

Amid the mounting tensions, Ukraine announced that a delegation from the country had agreed to meet with Russian officials for talks.

But the Kremlin’s ultimate aims in Ukraine and what steps might be enough to satisfy Moscow remained unclear.

The fast-moving developments came as scattered fighting was reported in Kyiv, battles broke out in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, and strategic ports in the country’s south came under assault from Russian forces.

With Russian troops closing in around Kyiv, a city of almost 3 million, the mayor of the capital expressed doubt civilians could be evacuated.

Across the country, Ukrainian defenders were putting up stiff resistance that appeared to slow Russia’s advance.

Meanwhile, the top official in the European Union outlined plans by the 27-nation bloc to close its airspace to Russian airlines and fund the purchase of weapons for Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told ABC that Putin is resorting to a pattern he used in the weeks before the invasion, “which is to manufacture threats that don’t exist in order to justify further aggression.”