Putin order to put nuclear weapons on high alert is attempt to distract from Ukraine's resistance to his invasion, UK defense minister says

The UK's defense minister said Monday that President Putin was trying to distract the world from the situation in Ukraine by putting Russian nuclear weapons on high alert.

Putin said that Russia had no choice because of illegitimate sanctions from the Western powers. Several Russian banks were kicked out of the global-payments system on Sunday after the US, UK, and EU imposed sanctions on a number of Russian entities.

The Russian defense ministry admitted on Sunday that they had sustained casualties for the first time.

Ben Wallace told Sky News that Putin was using the nuclear threat to scare and distract from his assault on Ukraine, and that Russia seemed no more prepared to use its nuclear weapons.

Wallace said that the language that President Putin has used doesn't link to anything of Russian readiness procedure.

It is also about making the world and the public forget what he is actually doing in Ukraine. It does not link to anything specific in their readiness structures.

Wallace told LBC radio that they looked at their posture. There isn't a significant change, this is more about putting it on the table to flex his muscles and distract.

The UK Ministry of Defence said Monday that Ukrainians had been slowing Russian efforts to advance, with US and UK officials saying the same.

The EU said it was banning Russian aircraft from its airspace in order to help the cause of the Ukrainians.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the European Union would finance the purchase for the first time.

In a video posted to Telegram on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the local resistance.

When I was in the presidency, I said that each of us was the president. We are responsible for our country. For our beautiful country. He said that each of us is a warrior.

I am sure that each of us will win.