Putin accuses the West of backing threats of 'nuclear war,' provoking Ukraine conflict

Media see risky escalation in war.Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the West in his Victory Day speech Monday at the Kremlin, claiming that the U.S. and other countries had propped up a "threat" on Russia's borders and had even supported threats of nuclear war against his country."Russia has always stood up for an international system of equality," Putin said, according to a translation from the German outlet Deutsche-Welle. Russian President Vladimir Putin watches an air parade on Victory Day, which marks the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2020. (Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS  )Putin also claimed that "the enemies of our country have tried to use international terrorism against us," likely referring to the increased sanctions against Russia and the seizure of Russian oligarchs' assets abroad.Putin said those living today are "the successor generation" to the generation that fought World War II. Those who decided to serve in the National Guard of Ukraine became part of the National Guard of Ukraine."It remains unclear to which pre-invasion threats of "nuclear war" Putin was referring (Ukraine surrendered its own nuclear weapons in 1994), but after Russia invaded Ukraine, Zelenskyy called for "global control" of the Kremlin's nuclear capabilities following the invaders' "completely irresponsible actions" during the war.Ukraine's president recalled the night of March 4, when a fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after Russian forces started shelling the plant amid the invasion.