Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that nuclear war is a possibility.
Russia is at odds with the West after deploying more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border and ratcheting up military exercises.
Russia continues to deny any intentions for an invasion, blaming NATO for its growth in Eastern Europe. However, a video has now emerged showing Putin threatening nuclear war if Ukraine joins NATO and strives to reclaim control of Crimea, the peninsula acquired by Russia in 2014.
This comes as fresh video purports to show the deployment of ‘unstoppable’ new Kinzhal nuclear-capable hypersonic missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian region bordering Poland and Lithuania.
While Putin stated that his conversations with French President Emmanuel Macron in Moscow were constructive, he used a press conference to warn of nuclear war.
‘I want to emphasize it one more time,’ he continued. I’ve been saying it for a while, but I’d really like you to hear me out and give it to your audience in print, TV, and online.
‘Do you realize, or do you not, that if Ukraine joins Nato and strives to reclaim Crimea through military means, European countries will be automatically drawn into a war with Russia?.’
Putin acknowledged that Moscow’s military capability is “incomparable” to that of Nato, but warned that his country remains “one of the major nuclear states.”
‘There will be no winners,’ he warned, ‘and you will be drawn into this conflict against your choice.’
As the conversation progresses, Putin becomes increasingly agitated and passionate, and he says:
‘You won’t even have time to blink when you carry out Article 5’. (collective defence of Nato members).
‘Of course, Mr President (Macron) does not want this, and I do not want it, which is why he is here torturing me for six hours straight.’
Russia is the world’s largest nuclear power, with 4300 warheads, followed by the United States, which has 3600.
Watch below;
Nah can everyone like calm down pls!? pic.twitter.com/NVro4NagNS
— Ash (@ashindestad) February 10, 2022
