Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning to the West on Wednesday, according to Rossiya-1 television and news agency RIA, in response to a question about whether the country was really ready for a nuclear war.
Putin added that the situation would be significantly worsened if the U.S. deployed American troops on Russian territory—or to Ukraine—stating just days before the elections on March 15–17 that the nuclear war scenario was not accelerating.
Putin will almost certainly be re-elected for a sixth term on March 15–17.
“Therefore, I don’t think that here everything is rushing to it (a nuclear confrontation), but we are ready for this.” said Putin.
Putin has warned the West multiple times that sending troops to Ukraine would provoke a nuclear war, and the conflict in Ukraine has precipitated the most severe crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
