President Vladimir Putin has said that there was a genuine risk of nuclear war if Western countries sent their own troops to fight in Ukraine, and he said Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West

President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries on Thursday that they risked provoking a nuclear war if they deployed troops to fight in Ukraine, emphasizing that Moscow possessed the capability to strike targets in the West.

The conflict in Ukraine has led to the most severe crisis in Moscow's relations with the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Putin has previously highlighted the dangers of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, but his nuclear warning on Thursday was particularly explicit.

Speaking to lawmakers and other influential figures, Putin, 71, reiterated his belief that the West aimed to weaken Russia and suggested that Western leaders underestimated the potential danger of their interference in what he portrayed as Russia's internal affairs.

Before issuing his nuclear warning, Putin specifically referenced an idea proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, suggesting that European NATO members could send ground troops to Ukraine. However, this suggestion was swiftly rejected by the United States, Germany, Britain, and other nations.

"(Western nations) must understand that we also possess weapons capable of striking targets on their territory. All of this poses a real threat of conflict involving nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don't they understand?!" Putin exclaimed.

Ahead of the presidential election on March 15-17, where he is expected to secure another six-year term, Putin praised Russia's extensively modernized nuclear arsenal, which is the largest in the world.

"Our strategic nuclear forces are at full readiness," he stated, highlighting that the new-generation hypersonic nuclear weapons he first mentioned in 2018 had been deployed or were nearing completion of development and testing.

Expressing visible anger, Putin suggested that Western politicians remember the fate of historical figures like Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany and Napoleon Bonaparte of France, who failed in their invasions of Russia.

Putin also stated that Russia needed to increase the number of troops stationed along its western borders with the European Union, particularly after Finland and Sweden decided to join the NATO military alliance.

Dismissing Western claims that Russian forces might expand beyond Ukraine to attack European countries as "nonsense," Putin emphasized that Moscow would not repeat the Soviet Union's mistake of being drawn into an arms race that would excessively deplete its budget.

"Our goal is to develop the defense-industrial complex to enhance the scientific, technological, and industrial capabilities of the country," he declared.

While Putin expressed openness to discussions on nuclear strategic stability with the United States, he suggested that Washington was not genuinely interested in such talks and was more focused on making baseless allegations about Moscow's intentions.

"Recently, there have been increasing unsubstantiated accusations against Russia, such as the alleged deployment of nuclear weapons in space. Such insinuations are a tactic to draw us into negotiations on their terms, which only benefit the United States," he stated.

"...In the run-up to the U.S. presidential election, they sim