Kremlin Dismisses Claims of 'Nuclear Rhetoric' in Putin's Crimea Remarks

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Claims by US billionaire Donald Trump and the Western media about 'nuclear rhetoric' contained in President Putin's remarks in a documentary on Crimea's reunification with Russia reveal distorted interpretation of what the Russian leader said, the Kremlin spokesman said Wednesday.

Last week, Western media claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had said in a documentary on Crimea that Russia was ready to put its nuclear forces on alert to protect the Crimean people and the peninsula’s territory after the overthrow of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.

"We cannot agree with these claims," Peskov told reporters.

Peskov also said that Donald Trump misinterpreted what the Russian president had said in the documentary:

"It is obvious that Trump appeals to poor knowledge of the documentary on Crimea, where Putin answered a relevant question in a rather peaceful manner, and where he stressed, on the contrary, that he is opposed to any escalation of tensions or the return to the Cold War standoff."

Crimea rejoined Russia in March 2014, after 96 percent of the peninsula’s population voted in favor of a reunification deal.

The United States, the European Union and their allies have refused to recognize the deal, claiming it violated Ukraine's territorial integrity, and have introduced several rounds of economic sanctions against Moscow.