President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky does not consider Russian leader Vladimir Putin's threat in his address to the Russian people a bluff, Western media report.

"Maybe yesterday it was a bluff. Now, it could be a reality. He wants to scare the whole world. These are the first steps of his nuclear blackmail. I don't think he's bluffing. I think the world is deterring it and containing this threat," Zelensky said in an interview with CBS on Sunday.

He also urged the USA and European allies to continue imposing sanctions on Putin and recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

"I understand there will be implications. These implications will make diplomatic negotiations impossible," Zelensky said. "However, they are terrorists, and we cannot let them do it out of fear. They will not surrender. We need to keep applying pressure."

In addition, Zelensky said it was important for Ukraine to continue to receive high mobile artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), artillery and air defense systems.

"We need the security in order to attract our Ukrainians to come back home. If it's safe, they will come, settle, work here and will pay taxes and then we won't have a deficit of $5 billion in our budget. So it will be a positive for everybody," Zelensky said.

At the same time, the head of the Ukrainian state expects Russian attacks on Ukrainian power grids in the coming winter months.

"But we are not afraid of that," he said. "We will fight, and we will not surrender. It's very important that they won't force other countries, United States of America and Europe to suffer. Now we suffer. We fight and we give our lives for the future of democracy and of the open world."

Zelensky added that in order to destabilize Ukraine, he, as the leader of the state, is the primary goal for the Russian Federation.

As reported, on September 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the "wind rose" could turn in the direction of those who are trying to "blackmail" Russia with nuclear weapons, noting that "this is not a bluff."