16 December 2024 , 18:22
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Vladimir Putin has accused the West of pushing him to his ’red lines’ as he issued a chilling World War Three threat over missiles.
Putin told defence officials that Russia was watching developments in the US, with the potential deployment of short and medium-range missiles raising concerns.
He warned that Russia would lift all restrictions on the deployment of its own missiles if the US goes ahead with its plans.
He added that Russia’s nuclear weapons were there for deterrence.
It comes after Ukraine accused him of "nuclear blackmail" - but believed he would not risk alienating himself.
"This is yet another bluff and demonstration of Putin’s weakness," Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s internal affairs minister, said.
"He will not dare to use nuclear weapons because that will make him a complete outcast."
Ukraine was hit by a hypersonic, nuclear-capable missile called Oreshnik last month.
"This is the first time that such remnants of such a missile have been discovered on the territory of Ukraine," an investigator for the Ukrainian Security Service said at the time.
In September, Putin said Russia’s "red line" for using nuclear weapons included Western leaders allowing Ukraine to use their missiles in Russia.
Former Soviet and Russian diplomat Nikolai Sokov said: "Don’t make a mistake - all these kind of things may mean nuclear war."
Addressing dismissal of the threats, he added: "I’m really concerned about all the loose talk.
"We run head-on into a situation which is completely unfamiliar to us ... If you do not factor in the risks, you are likely to have a very unpleasant surprise."
However, an analyst at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs suggested the "red line" was "a psychological PR operation" with little substance.
"It is designed to scare leaders & voters of countries supporting Ukraine," Andreas Umland said.