Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned that his country is capable of carrying out strikes on targets in Western nations if they decide to intervene militarily in Ukraine, one of his most explicit threats of nuclear escalation since the start of Russia’s invasion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers an annual address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian ... [+]
Putin issued the threat while making his annual State of the Nation address to Russia’s parliament and said Western military support for Ukraine risks a nuclear conflict, which would result in the “destruction of all of civilization.”
Putin’s comments were in response to French President Emmanuel Macron saying the deployment of NATO ground troops in Ukraine cannot be “ruled out”—a suggestion that received immediate pushback from other members of the alliance, including the U.S.
Putin said Western countries should be aware that Moscow possesses weapons that can hit targets in their territory and angrily said: “They think this is a game.”
In his speech, the Russian leader once again railed against the West and accused it of trying to weaken his country.
This is a developing story.