Putin: US is spoiling for war

Vladimir Putin warned yesterday that a third world war ‘‘would lead to the end of civilisation’’ as he accused America of violating the nuclear balance.

Responding to a worried viewer during a televised phone-in, Putin called for new arms control negotiations and quoted Albert Einstein’s aphorism that ‘‘World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones’’.

He said Russia had developed weapons to breach US missile defences after Washington left the Soviet-era anti-ballistic missile treaty in 2002. ‘‘The fear of mutually assured destruction has always restrained and forced military powers to respect each other,’’ he said. ‘‘This is on the understanding that a third world war would lead to the end of civilisation.’’

He added: ‘‘The exit of the United States from the missile defence treaty was an attempt to ruin this parity, but our efforts in the development of new weapons will preserve the parity.’’

Nuclear weapons, including an underwater drone and a hypersonic glider warhead, prompted fears of a new arms race when the Russian leader announced them in March. US intelligence said Moscow’s nuclear-powered hypersonic cruise missile with ‘‘unlimited’’ range had crashed in tests.

The Cold War rhetoric continued as Putin likened Western sanctions on Russia to the US containment policy against the USSR. He also cited Soviet successes in the space race while pledging to launch 600 new satellites and develop a super-heavy rocket.

He briefly touched on next week’s World Cup, saying that stadiums built in 11 Russian cities should help ‘‘develop a new generation of football players’’.

During the annual show, which ran for more than four hours, Putin answered 73 questions out of more than 2 million submitted by the country’s people. Asked about the Syria conflict, Putin said Russia had ceased combat missions but would keep troops there ‘‘as long as it’s advantageous’’. –