Putin says he 'hopes' not to use nukes in Ukraine during candid interview as he offers glimpse inside luxury Kremlin living quarters

Daily Mail​

05-05-2025

Russian despot Vladimir Putin has said he hopes he won't have to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, in a propagandistic interview from his luxury Kremlin flat.
The dictator said Moscow has the strength and the means to bring the brutal conflict to a 'logical conclusion,' adding that the need to use nuclear weapons has not arisen, and he hopes it will not.
Putin's comments were aired on Sunday in a film by Russian state television about his quarter of a century as leader.
Responding to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, he said: 'There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons ... and I hope they will not be required.'
'We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires,' he added.
In the film, Putin also said Russia did not launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine - what he called a 'special military operation' - in 2014, when it illegally annexed Crimea, because it was 'practically unrealistic'.
'The country was not ready for such a frontal confrontation with the entire collective West,' he said.
He also claimed that Russia 'sincerely sought to solve the problem of Donbas by peaceful means'. Putin said reconciliation with Ukraine is 'inevitable'.
He made the comments during an unprecedented interview in which the Russian leader can be seen chatting to a local journalist outside his home - near his office - before he reveals what's inside.
Putin opens his gold-plated door and says, 'Yes, this is the apartment. As you can see it's not far away,' before he invites the reporter, Zarubin, in.
The pair enter a grand hall adorned with gilded walls, large gold-framed mirrors, gold chandeliers, and exotic-looking plants.
A large portrait of Russian Emperor Alexander III is prominently positioned on a table, and several light-colored sofas sit in the room's centre.
There is also a white grand piano by the window, which Putin claims he rarely manages to play.
In further videos - which are extracts from a longer interview due to come out in Russia on May 4 - Putin also showed Zarubin a dark-wood-lined library, two bedrooms, and a small 'home church.
The Kremlin apartment video comes after last year leaked footage revealed Putin has revamped his £1 billion clifftop palace, getting rid of his pole-dancing boudoir and installing a church with a 'throne' for his personal use.
The dictator, 71, was stung when investigative journalists working with Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption foundation (FBK) discovered the gaudy Gelendzhik castle overlooking the Black Sea three years ago.
Amid a scandal over misuse of state funds, the Kremlin claimed it belonged instead to his childhood friend Arkady Rotenburg, 72, who told reporters he was creating a sumptuous 'apart-hotel'.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed his thoughts on using nuclear weapons against Ukraine as he approaches his 25th year in power. Putin's comments aired on Sunday in a film by Russian state television about his quarter of a century as leader
But Putin-watchers saw this as a smokescreen and a new leak appeared to show the changing tastes of the dictator amid an opulent makeover of the sprawling palace, which includes a 16-storey underground complex built into the cliff-face that has drawn comparisons with a James Bond villain's lair.
The latest embarrassing disclosures about the palace came as Putin was inaugurated as Russian president for the fifth time following his 'victory' in a March 2024 election widely seen as rigged.
The Russian president's notorious striptease stage and pole-dancing hookah hall, casino, gaming room and 'aqua disco' - for which he was mocked and shamed in the 2021 disclosure - were out.
Commentators speculated the accoutrements were not in keeping with his recent push for Russians to embrace traditional values.
Out, too, was the garish gold ornaments and decorations noted in the previous exposé of the palace.
Instead, the property has been furnished with a traditional church complete with its own wooden throne for Putin, along with sacred religious icons and images.
One depicts canonised Prince Vladimir the Great - the same name as Putin, and his historical hero - who more than one thousand years ago was credited with uniting Ukraine and Russia.
'This is probably the only room where the name of the real owner of this palace is directly indicated,' said the investigation by outlets FBK - formerly associated with 'murdered' opposition leader Alexei Navalny - and independent Russian outlet Proekt.
Putin's personal church takes centre stage with a gilded altar, marble floor mural, and a wash of dark green patterns on the walls to provide a sensible, sober feel.
It is a world away from previously leaked computer generated images revealing plans for a hookah room in the palace, complete with strip pole and sofas.
Epic paintings of historical war scenes have appeared - showing a heroic Russia, for example at the 1812 Battle of Borodino when Napoleon suffered grievous losses.