Vladimir Putin has said Russia is “ready for a nuclear war” as he pledged to station troops close to his country’s border with Finland, stoking already raised tensions with the West still further.

The Russian President, almost certain to be re-elected for another six years on March 17, did not hold back in an incendiary interview with state-run television this morning.

Putin said he hoped that the US would avoid any escalation that could trigger a nuclear war, but emphasised that Russia’s nuclear forces were ready for it.

Asked if he has ever considered using battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Putin responded that there has been no need for that.

Putin also voiced confidence that Moscow will achieve its goals in Ukraine and held the door open for talks, emphasising that any deal would require firm guarantees from the West.

However, he said he would be moving soldiers closer to Russia’s lengthy border with Finland, where NATO troops are currently taking part in Exercise Nordic Response.

Putin also boasted that Russia‘s nuclear triad – referring to the three methods of delivery, from air, land and sea, were more advanced than those of other countries.

Specifically, he claimed the United States, unlike his own country, was not ready for nuclear war “tomorrow”.

Putin has made frequent nuclear threats since the start of his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

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