UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. AP
"The mere idea of a nuclear conflict is simply inconceivable," Stephane Dujarric told AFP when asked for the reaction of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Putin's move as part of the Ukraine crisis.
In a dramatic escalation of East-West tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces put 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 raised fears that the crisis could boil over into nuclear warfare, whether by design or mistake.
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