Vladimir Putin has warned that World War III could break out if the West continues to “escalate the situation” in his latest existential threat over war in Ukraine.
The Russian dictator accused the West of antagonizing the conflict, but stopped short of saying that World War III was already underway.
“You know, there’s no need to scare anyone,” he told a state television reporter, warning that “there are many dangers and they are increasing.”
‘And we see what our enemy is doing today, aggravating the situation. If they want, let them live badly, let them continue climbing.
“We will always respond to any challenge, always,” he said.
Putin glossed over his role in escalating the conflict in Europe with the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, boasting instead of his personal role in the “historic” development of the Oreshnik hypersonic missile.
Last week, Putin went so far as to challenge the West to a “high-tech missile duel,” suggesting he might warn of an attack with the new experimental weapon to see if Ukraine’s allies can “stop it in time.”
Speaking on the Russia-1 television channel, he urged Western leaders to reach a compromise, stating: “We are ready to seek these compromises, but without prejudice to our interests.”
Speaking about Russia-1, Putin warned that World War III could still break out
He remained defiant in the face of what he called the Western “escalation.”
Ukrainian Ground Forces fire a Leopard 2A4 tank during field training at an undisclosed location in Ukraine, Oct. 27.
Putin has stepped up his rhetoric warning of a possible global war in response to the West’s support for Ukraine.
Last week, he accused the West of pushing Russia toward its “red lines” and threatened to lift all voluntary restrictions on the deployment of its short- and medium-range missiles if the United States went ahead and deployed similar weapons.
Putin, who said Russian forces in Ukraine have taken control of 189 settlements so far this year, said Russia’s nuclear weapons were there to deter.
Nikolai Sokov, a former Soviet and Russian diplomat, said at the time that the “red line” was intended to be a “very clear message”: “Don’t make a mistake: all these kinds of things can mean nuclear war.”
“I’m really worried about all this vague talk,” he said, and actors in Ukraine dismissed the threats as a bluff.
“We are faced with a situation that is completely unknown to us… If you don’t take the risks into account, you are likely to be in for a very unpleasant surprise.”
Putin remains defiant that the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine was not a mistake, even saying last week that he should have acted sooner.
“Knowing what’s happening now, in 2022 I would have thought the decision should have been made sooner,” he said at a year-end news conference on Thursday.
“We should have started preparing earlier for those events and for the special military operation.”
Major Russian ammunition depot catches fire in Rostov region after Ukrainian attack
British Army soldiers take part in training near Rovaniemi, in the Arctic Circle, on November 19.
Chilling footage shows Vladimir Putin’s new Oreshnik hypersonic superweapon attacking a defense plant in Dnipro, Ukraine, on November 21.
BBC’s Steve Rosenberg bravely tight Putin on whether he had achieved his goals as president, noting that the war has brought NATO closer to Russia’s borders with the accession of Finland and Sweden.
Putin resolutely said that Moscow had “backed away from the brink” and was going to lose “sovereignty” before taking power.
He added that Russia was willing to work with Britain if they wanted it.
After defending his own role as president, Putin told Russia-1 that the Oreshnik missile he tested in Dnipro last month was a “historic event in the field of rocketry and space.”
‘Nothing like this has ever happened before. This is the first time it has happened with this type of weapon,’ he stated.
‘How deep (was I involved)? Yes, quite deep.
He revealed a split in his Defense Ministry over the development of the Oreshnik superweapon.
“In the end, I joined those who thought it should be produced and gave direct orders to do it, to allocate the necessary resources,” he said.
Rescue workers respond at the site where fragments of a Russian ballistic missile fell in the city’s Holosiivskyi district on December 20, 2024 in kyiv.
Ukrainian servicemen from the 33rd Brigade operate a Leopard battle tank heading towards Kurahove, Ukraine, as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues on December 19.
Ukrainian soldiers fire 2s1 artillery in the direction of Kreminna, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on November 30.
‘And he agreed with those who thought it was time to test it in combat conditions.
“So, well, of course, that’s part of my job.”
Putin spoke as a large Russian ammunition depot exploded in the Rostov region following a Ukrainian drone attack.
The facility was near Russian-occupied Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Putin faces a growing number of people who want his war to end.
A new survey by state-owned company VTsIOM shows that if Russians wrote to Santa Claus with a wish, 42 percent of women would ask for an end to the war.
For men, the figure is 31 percent.
The desires to end the conflict were more than other desires.