"I strongly condemn the announcement by President Putin that he has put Russia’s ‘deterrent forces on special combat duty’.

"This threat of nuclear weapons is utterly unacceptable. President Putin’s announcement represents a dangerous and irresponsible escalation in tensions, and considerably heightens the risk of catastrophic miscalculation. There can be no justification for threatening use of nuclear weapons. Ireland has long argued that nuclear weapons offer no security, and their use would result in devastating humanitarian consequences. I recall the statement of the heads of the five Nuclear Weapon States, including President Putin, just last month, that ‘a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought’.

"I call for Russia to immediately revoke the order to place nuclear weapons on high-alert status, and I urge maximum restraint, de-escalation and the avoidance of any nuclear rhetoric which will only worsen an already dangerous and unpredictable situation."