Putin threatens to destroy civilisation with apocalyptic threat

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has warned of the “destruction of all civilization” in a major threat to the West.

It has been just over two years since Putin first launched his invasion of Ukraine, and threats appear to be ratcheting up over the West’s support of the country and its army.

In his annual State of the Nation address, Putin gave his most chilling and explicit threat yet as he suggested nuclear weapons could be utilised causing the end of civilisation.

Putin suggested that sending NATO troops to fight in Ukraine “really risks a conflict using nuclear weapons, which means the destruction of all of civilisation”.

His comments come just days after French President Emmanuel Macron said he did not rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine.

Putin added: “They think this is some kind of game. They are blinded by their own superiority complex.”

Elsewhere in his speech, Putin warned the West against going to war with Russia, suggesting, “the consequences for potential invaders will be far more tragic” than in the past.

He claimed it was “nonsense” that Russia plans to invade the rest of Europe, but said: “We also have weapons that can strike targets on their territory.”

Despite his early refusal to refer to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine as a war, instead describing it as a “special military operation”, the BBC reports the Russian leader used the word “war” in his speech.

He claimed that Russia has the “initiative” despite the country losing hundreds of thousands of troops throughout the conflict, with accusations that soldiers have been sent out ill-equipped and poorly trained.

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