Asked about the dangers of a wide-scale Nato-Russia
conflict, Putin said: “Everything is possible in the modern world.” It is the
latest example of the Russian president dangling the threat of a larger, or
even nuclear, conflict in Europe as he attempts to pressure Ukraine’s Western allies against an escalation of their
involvement in his war.
It comes as United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres said the
risk of nuclear war was the highest it has been in decades.
“Geopolitical tensions and mistrust have escalated
the risk of nuclear warfare to its highest point in decades,” he said during a
UN Security Council meeting.
He said the Doomsday Clock – the symbol for humanity’s
proximity to self-destruction - “is ticking loudly enough for all to hear”.