Cornered by war, Putin makes another nuclear threat

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while delivering a speech during an event to celebrate the 1160th anniversary of Russian statehood in Veliky Novgorod, Russia on September 21, 2022. [AP Photo]

In a harsh warning, President Vladimir Putin declared that he won't hesitate to use nuclear weapons to protect Russian territory, a threat that comes as Moscow is poised to annex swaths of Ukraine that Moscow has taken over after hastily called referendums there.