Putin sends chilling message: Why do we need a world if Russia doesn’t exist?
VLADIMIR Putin yesterday raised the prospect of a nuclear holocaust if Russia comes under attack.
In one of his most chilling outbursts, the Russian president said: “Why do we need a world if Russia ceases to exist?’”
Mr Putin, who is campaigning in a presidential election, hit out days after claiming to have developed new nuclear weapons which could evade the US’s defences.
His comments come amid rising tension with the UK over the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
There is a growing feeling among Britain’s security services that Russia is a greater longer-term threat than Islamic State.
In a TV interview about Russia’s nuclear arsenal Mr Putin said: “I want to tell you, and I want this to be known here and abroad.
“Our plans for using it, I am hoping it will never happen, our theoretical plans of using it is a so-called retaliatory, counter strike.
Catastrophe
“A decision about using nuclear weapon can be made only if our missile warning system recorded not only the launch of missiles, but also gave an accurate prediction of flight trajectories and the time when the warheads fall on Russia.”
He added: “This is called a retaliatory, counter strike, when we receive a legal right to respond.
“Yes this will be a global catastrophe for humankind. It will be a global catastrophe for the world. But as a citizen of Russia, as a head of the Russian state, I want to ask – why do we need a world if Russia ceases to exist?”
Mr Putin, who is expected to be the runaway winner in the election on March 18, has won widespread domestic support by claiming to have made Russia great again.
Only last week he boasted of a new arsenal of doomsday weapons including an intercontinental ballistic missile “with a practically unlimited range”, a nuclear-powered cruise missile, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser weapon.
After showing a video of a missile targeting Florida, he added: “We will view any use of nuclear weapons against Russia or its allies, be it of small, medium or any force, as a nuclear attack on our country.”
Meanwhile Britain sees Russia as a greater long-term threat than Islamic State because of its potential to destabilise the fabric of the country.
The police and security services are working round the clock to contain the threat posed by militant Islam which has carried out murderous attacks in recent years in cities including Manchester and London. But analysts say Russia – and states such as North Korea, China and Iran – are waging constant campaigns to undermine UK democracy, the military and the economy.
Earlier this week Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told MPs that Mr Putin has “hostile intent” towards Britain.
The head of the Army, General Sir Nick Carter, has described state-sponsored cyberwarfare as a bigger threat to the UK than terrorism.
He described Mr Putin as the “arch exponent” of “hybrid” warfare, where states use a variety of subversive tactics.
He said: “Since 2016 we have seen a marked shift to cyber, subversion and coercion, as well as sophisticated use of smear campaigns and fake news – for example, interference in the US democratic process and the attempted coup in Montenegro.
“We would not define terrorism as an existential threat to our country – it is clearly a very significant threat but... it is the rising threat from states and the consequences that stem from this for the military that I think is of more immediate concern.”