Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Monday that a direct conflict between Russia and the U.S.-led NATO alliance could bring the world to the brink of World War Three, emphasizing that few desire such an outcome.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has plunged Moscow’s relations with the West into its most severe crisis since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Despite frequently highlighting the risk of nuclear warfare, Putin affirmed he has felt no necessity to employ nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
In a notable statement last month, French President Emmanuel Macron did not dismiss the future deployment of ground troops in Ukraine. This stance has seen a mixed reaction among Western countries, with several, particularly in Eastern Europe, expressing their support. Responding to inquiries from Reuters regarding Macron’s comments and the potential for conflict between Russia and NATO, Putin remarked, “everything is possible in the modern world.”
“This would be merely one step away from a full-scale World War Three, a prospect in which hardly anyone has an interest,” Putin stated following his record-setting electoral victory in post-Soviet Russia. He also mentioned the already present NATO military personnel in Ukraine, noting the detection of English and French spoken on the battlefield.
“There is nothing positive in this, especially for them, as they are dying there in significant numbers,” he added.
