Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with state-controlled media on March 13 that he is “ready” to launch nuclear weapons if Western countries, in particular the United States, commit troops to Ukraine. Russia is prepared for nuclear conflict but is not “rushing towards it,” Putin told the Russia-1 television channel and RIA Novosti. The warning comes a week after French President Emmanuel Macron said the West could not rule out the option of sending troops to Ukraine. His remarks caused international outcry, with many NATO allies clarifying they had no plans to deploy soldier…