Russia’s Putin warns West of nuclear war risk, says Moscow can strike Western targets
- Russian president stepped up threats against the West for its support of Ukraine
- Putin suggested Western politicians recall fate of Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte
President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries on Thursday that there was a genuine risk of nuclear war if they sent their own troops to fight in Ukraine, and he said Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West.
Addressing parliament and other members of the country’s elite, Putin, 71, repeated his accusation that the West is bent on weakening Russia, and he suggested Western leaders did not understand how dangerous their meddling could be in what he cast as Russia’s own internal affairs.
He prefaced his warning with a specific reference to an idea, floated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of European Nato members sending ground troops to Ukraine – a suggestion that was quickly rejected by the United States, Germany, Britain and others.
“[Western nations] must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don’t they get that?!” said Putin.
The Russian leader also said his troops are ready for combat.