A senior Russian lawmaker has openly called for Moscow to use a nuclear weapon against Ukraine to force Kyiv to capitulate, as concerns grow over possible further Russian escalation. Alexei Zhuravlev, a State Duma deputy and leader of the nationalist Rodina party, said Russia should use tactical nuclear weapons if necessary and dismissed any debate over whether Moscow should cross the nuclear threshold.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Russia must strike in such a way that the enemy understands that it must capitulate,” Zhuravlev said in a video address, posted on Telegram, on Sunday. “There should not even be such a discussion. If necessary, we are obliged to use [tactical nuclear weapons]... If we need to strike, we will strike. And that is not up for discussion.” Zhuravlev’s comments come amid renewed reporting about concerns inside the US and Europe over whether Russian President Vladimir Putin could escalate the war further. Bloomberg previously reported, citing sources close to the Kremlin, that Putin was preparing for further escalation in Ukraine and could potentially consider tactical nuclear weapons as a last resort to avoid defeat. There is no evidence that Putin has decided to use nuclear weapons, however. CIA chief’s Moscow visit The nuclear rhetoric follows CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s unexpected visit to Moscow on Aug. 25. According to Axios sources, Ratcliffe sought to determine whether Putin could be persuaded to abandon further escalation and return to negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.