PARIS: President Vladimir Putin needs to understand that NATO is a nuclear alliance, the French foreign minister said Thursday, after the Kremlin chief boasted about Russia's nuclear arsenal as he launched the attack on Ukraine.
According to NATO, the nuclear weapons held by members France, the UK and US are a core component of its overall capabilities for deterrence and defence.
Emphasising that Russia was still one of the "biggest nuclear powers in the world", Putin had launched the offensive on Ukraine early Thursday with a warning that a direct attack on Russia would lead to "destruction".
"Vladimir Putin must also understand that the Atlantic Alliance is a nuclear alliance," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told the TF1 channel.
He also promised "spectacular" European sanctions which will "strike to the heart" of Russia.
Le Drian said France is also studying a series of requests for assistance from Ukraine, including the military.
"They made us a list (of military equipment), we are in the process of studying it, to try to respond as best as possible to their request as quickly as possible," he said.
Le Drian also meanwhile launched a bitter personal attack against Putin, describing him as a "cynic and a dictator".