Former President Donald Trump issued a stern warning that Russia Ukraine conflict may launch the start of World War 3.
The former president took to his Truth Social account and warned that we could be on the precipice of World War III, a nuclear war.
“President Putin of Russia is now threatening the use of Nuclear Weapons, saying ‘It is not a bluff.’ The Ukrainian conflict should never have happened, and would not have happened if I were President. But as I have made very clear for quite some time, this could now end up being World War III,” Trump posted on Truth.
While Biden continues to claim he has “de-escalated” tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it very clear that if the West doesn’t back down that we too may find ourselves under attack.
“If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will without doubt use all available means to protect Russia and our people – this is not a bluff,” Putin said in a televised address to the nation.
Citing NATO expansion towards Russia’s borders, Putin said the West was plotting to destroy his country, engaging in “nuclear blackmail” by allegedly discussing the potential use of nuclear weapons against Moscow, and accused the United States, the European Union and Britain of encouraging Ukraine to push military operations into Russia itself.
“In its aggressive anti-Russian policy, the West has crossed every line,” Putin said. “This is not a bluff. And those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the weathervane can turn and point towards them.”
Putin, during his press conference, announced a “partial mobilization” of up to 300,000 more troops, while also warning that he is prepared to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine if need be.
In a prerecorded message, the Russian president charged that the West “wants to destroy our country,” adding that NATO countries had tried to “turn Ukraine’s people into cannon fodder,” according to CNBC.
The outlet continued:
Putin said “mobilization events” would begin Wednesday without providing further details, aside from saying he had ordered an increase in funding to boost Russia’s weapons production, having committed (and lost) a large amount of weaponry during the conflict, which began in late February.
A partial mobilization is a hazy concept, but it could mean that Russian businesses and citizens have to contribute more to the war effort. Russia has not yet declared war on Ukraine, despite having invaded in February, and it calls its invasion a “special military operation.”
Putin confirmed that military reservists would be called up into active service, but insisted wider conscription of Russian men of fighting age was not taking place.
“I reiterate, we are talking about partial mobilization, that is, only citizens who are currently in the reserve will be subject to conscription, and above all, those who served in the armed forces have a certain military specialty and relevant experience,” he said according to an Associated Press translation.
“Conscripts will obligatorily go through additional military training based on the experience of the special military operation before departing to the units,” he added.
Western military officials and experts took Putin’s message as an escalatory address aimed at NATO members especially, who he accused of engaging in nuclear blackmail against Russia. He also noted that Russia has “lots of weapons to reply” to what he called threats from the West, and added that he was not bluffing.
“Putin has alluded to Russia’s nuclear weaponry at various points during the conflict with Ukraine but there are doubts over whether Moscow would actually resort to deploying such a weapon, with analysts saying it could be tantamount to starting a third world war,” CNBC added.
