Vladimir Putin has made at least 11 threats of nuclear war against the West since he launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres has warned that the risk of nuclear war breaking out is greater now than at any point since the end of the Cold War.
“Geopolitical tensions and mistrust have escalated the risk of nuclear warfare to its highest point in decades,” Mr Guterres warned.
It comes as Vladimir Putin has repeatedly dangled the threat of a wider conflict stemming from the Ukraine war, saying that Moscow is “ready” for nuclear war if it comes to it.
Putin addressed an event in Moscow’s Red Square last night to mark the 10-year anniversary of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, a day after he declared 87 per cent of the vote in a sham presidential election.
He was met with chants of “Russia, Russia” as he proclaimed not just Crimea’s “return to its home harbour” but also the more recent capture of parts of four Ukrainian provinces, which he called part of “New Russia”.
Western nations have dismissed Russia’s election as rigged, while a handful of nations including China, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran and India have congratulated Putin on winning a fifth term in power.
