An ally of Vladimir Putin said that if Russia were to fire a nuclear weapon on Ukraine it would create a "radiation zone" that would end the conflict, according to the Financial Times.
Russian tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev spoke to the news outlet about how the world is "on the brink of nuclear war." He said that Putin will likely reject President-elect Donald Trump's peace plan, and he would only be able to end the conflict if he reversed President Joe Biden's authorization for the use of long-range weapons.
Speaking of a scenario in which Russia fired a tactical nuclear weapon, Malofeyev said: "There will be a radiation zone nobody will ever go into in our lifetime. And the war will be over."
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and the Trump transition team for comment via email.
The predicted radiation zone Malofeyev is referring to bears similarities to the radioactive area surrounding Chernobyl following the explosions at the power plant in Ukraine in 1986.
Following the nuclear disaster, a piece of land measuring 1,040 square miles deemed the "exclusion zone" has been cut off and it remains one of the most radioactive areas in the world.
Some survivors live in nearby villages, and some wildlife has come to occupy Chernobyl since the nuclear disaster, which began after a routine reactor systems test went wrong.
Experts have previously predicted the area will remain uninhabitable anywhere from 3,000 to 20,000 years.
The Russian oligarch's prediction is not unwarranted, as Putin recently signed an updated nuclear doctrine into law and he has made statements, in addition to those by other Russian officials, that Russia will respond to attacks on its territory.
The Russian oligarch also noted that for peace talks with Trump's appointed envoy Keith Kellogg to be successful, they need to be about the "future of Europe and the world" rather than focusing solely on the future of Ukraine.
On November 27, Trump nominated Kellogg, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, to serve as the special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, noting his "distinguished military and business career." Kellogg will play a crucial role in Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations.
Malofeyev said that Russia would only believe the peace talks were serious and lasting if Trump discussed the wars in the Middle East, as well as Russia's alliance with China, and the Kremlin's interest in Ukraine.
Regarding Russia's desires for the outcome of the war with Ukraine, Malofeyev said: "We want a long-term peace — some sort of general agreement about the global order. Trump wants to go down in history, he'll be 80 soon, he's a grandfather. Putin's not 50 anymore either. It'll be the legacy they both leave us."
A Russian media mogul and businessman, Malofeyev runs several television networks in Russia and Greece, and although he does not have an official position in the Kremlin, he has influenced the Russian government's policy decisions.
The 50-year-old oligarch has been the subject of U.S. sanctions since 2014 for "threatening Ukraine and providing financial support to the Donetsk separatist region" and was charged by the Department of Justice for violating government sanctions in a major cybercrime probe.
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