Russia-Ukraine crisis: I don't think Putin wants to use nuclear weapons, says UK defence secretary

British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Monday that he does not expect Russian President Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons in his pursuit of Ukraine, days after the former Soviet republic attacked its neighbour.

"We should be worried that a state like Russia believes that the rules don't apply to them, whether that is attacking Ukraine, but fundamentally a deterrent is what it is, a deterrent," Wallace told Times Radio.

"As much as he might be ambitious for Ukraine, I don't think he wants to go into that space."