Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning on Monday, cautioning Western powers that any direct conflict between Russia and the NATO alliance, led by the US, would bring the world dangerously close to a full-scale World War III, as reported by TASS.
Putin stressed that while such a scenario is possible in the modern world, it is unlikely that anyone is interested in such a catastrophic outcome.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has strained Moscow’s relations with the West to their breaking point, with Putin frequently highlighting the risks of nuclear warfare. Despite this, he has maintained that he has never considered it necessary to employ nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Speaking after securing a decisive victory in the Russian presidential elections, Putin acknowledged the possibility of a direct conflict between Russia and NATO in the future, although he emphasized that no one desires such a scenario.
“I think that everything is possible in the modern world. But it will be one step away from a full-scale third world war. I think it’s unlikely Is anyone interested in this?” TASS quotes Putin as saying.
Regarding recent escalations along the Russia-Ukraine border, Putin noted the presence of Ukrainian soldiers in the border zone, estimating their numbers to be around 5,000. He also mentioned the involvement of the Russian Volunteer Corps, which he referred to as a terrorist organization, and stated that approximately 2,500 individuals from these groups had been deployed in recent attacks.
Putin also addressed the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, describing it as a sad event. He mentioned that proposals for a prisoner swap involving Navalny had been discussed before his passing, suggesting that such discussions were ongoing in the days leading up to the opposition leader’s death.
In the presidential elections, Putin secured a resounding victory with 87.17% of the votes, according to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation. The voter turnout stood at 74.22%, with the election taking place over three days from March 15 to 17.
