Ex-Defense Secretary Gates says Russia unlikely to use nuclear weapons: Live Ukraine updates Jorge L. Ortiz and Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY - 1h ago

Even if Russia's war in Ukraine is going much worse than expected, Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to use a nuclear weapon ""The risk is low, but not zero," said former US Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Robert Gates on Sunday. Gates said on CBS' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that Russia's use of a tactical weapon would elicit a strong response from the West, including the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukrainian skies. Furthermore, he stated that such a move would be futile "change the military equation on the ground" because Ukrainian forces are widely dispersed and fiercely resisting. "Another thing I hope someone reminds Putin of is that winds tend to blow from the west in that part of the world, particularly in eastern Ukraine," Gates said. "If you detonate a tactical nuclear weapon in eastern Ukraine, the radiation will reach Russia." Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. Gates, who served as defense secretary under Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic President Barack Obama from 2006 to 2011, said the Biden administration should have begun arming Ukraine months earlier in preparation for a conflict with Russia. But he praises President Joe Biden for rallying America's allies and assembling a coalition to confront Russia, resisting calls for a no-fly zone — which would necessitate more intervention — and refusing to bite on Putin's nuclear threats.Gates stated that Western sanctions and failures on the battlefield have dealt a significant blow to Russia and its global standing. "Putin will remain a pariah," Gates added "He has really put Russia behind the eight ball economically, militarily, and because now people will look at the Russian military and say, "You know, this was supposed to be this fantastic military." They put on a good show, but not so much in actual combat.'" Latest developments: Russia escalated its offensive in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, as Polish President Andrzej Duda visited Kyiv to support Poland's European Union ambitions, becoming the first foreign leader to address the Ukrainian parliament since the war began. According to Reuters, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stated that he will "work actively" to enable grain exports from Ukraine and to supply fertilizer to Ukraine. Russia has shut down Black Sea ports critical to the export of Ukrainian wheat and other crops. Biden and Harris are on Russia's blacklist, but not Trump. In response to the United States' support for the Ukraine war, Russia has barred nearly 1,000 Americans from entering the country permanently. The list includes numerous elected leaders but conspicuously excludes one prominent one — former President Donald Trump. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy were among the 963 people who were barred from entering Russia as a symbolic gesture. Recent living former presidents such as Barack Obama and George W. Bush were not included on the list, but Trump's name stands out because he has been accused of being too cozy with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump mentioned Putin's strategy two days before the February 24 invasion.

People who fled from Mariupol wait to leave after being processed upon their arrival at a reception center for displaced people in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, late Sunday, May 8, 2022. Thousands of Ukrainians continue to leave Russian-occupied areas. sad very sad