Russian President Vladimir Putin denies having any intentions of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine

On Thursday, taking a U-turn from his previous statements, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied having any intentions of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. However, Putin described the conflict in Ukraine as part of alleged efforts by the West to secure its global domination, which he insisted are doomed to fail.

While speaking at a conference of international foreign policy experts, Putin said it's pointless for Russia to strike Ukraine with nuclear weapons. "We see no need for that. There is no point in that, neither political nor military," he said. 

Giving context regarding his previous warning, Putin said that his readiness to use "all means available to protect Russia" didn't amount to nuclear saber-rattling but was only a response to Western statements about their possible use of nuclear weapons.

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He particularly mentioned Liz Truss saying in August that she would be ready to use nuclear weapons if she became Britain's prime minister, a remark which he said worried the Kremlin.

Without offering evidence, the Russian leader repeated Moscow's unproven allegation that Ukraine was plotting a false flag attack involving a radioactive dirty bomb it would try to pin on Russia.

Ukraine argued Russia might be making the unfounded allegation to serve as a cover for its own possible plot to detonate a dirty bomb.

Putin said he personally ordered Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to call his foreign counterparts to tell them about the purported plot. He maintained that Russia knows the Ukrainian facilities working on the project.

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In a long speech full of diatribes against the United States and its allies, Putin accused the US and its allies of trying to dictate their terms to other nations in a "dangerous, bloody, and dirty" domination game.

Putin, who sent his troops into Ukraine on February 24, has cast Western support for Ukraine as part of broad efforts by Washington and its allies to enforce its will upon others through what they call a rules-based world order.

The Russian leader said Russia isn't the enemy of the West but will continue to oppose the purported diktat of Western neo-liberal elites, accusing them of trying to subdue Russia.