Andrzej Duda made the statement in an interview with the British broadcaster BBC, as the Kremlin’s assault on Ukraine continued for the third week.
Asked about the possibility of Putin resorting to a chemical attack, the Polish head of state replied:
“This is something the world has not seen on this scale since the Second World War.”
He added: “If you’re asking me whether Putin can use chemical weapons, I think Putin can use anything right now, especially when he’s in this difficult situation.”
“Politically, he has already lost this war, and militarily, he’s not winning it,” Duda stressed.
The Polish president was also asked whether any use of chemical weapons on the part of Russia in Ukraine could prompt an intervention by the NATO alliance.
He replied: “Of course, everybody hopes that he would not dare do that. But… if he uses weapons of mass destruction, this would be a gamechanger in the whole thing.”
Duda emphasised: “For sure, [NATO]… would have to sit at the table and they will really have to think seriously what to do, because then it starts to be dangerous, not only for Europe…, but the whole world.”
Earlier on Sunday, Russian missiles hit a large Ukrainian military centre near the border with Poland, killing 35 people and wounding 134, Ukrainian officials reported.
Sunday is day eighteen of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.
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Source: bbc.com, PAP, Reuters