Putin threatens World War 3 as he declares victory in sham election

Russian president Vladimir Putin has as soon as once more threatened the West in opposition to coming into right into a direct battle with Moscow, saying a battle between Russia and Nato would imply the planet was one step away from World Conflict Three.

The Ukraine battle has triggered the deepest disaster in Moscow’s relations with the West for the reason that 1962 Cuban Missile Disaster. Mr Putin has typically warned of the dangers of nuclear battle however says he has by no means felt the necessity to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

French president Emmanuel Macron final month mentioned he couldn’t rule out the deployment of floor troops in Ukraine sooner or later, with many Western international locations distancing themselves from that whereas others, particularly in jap Europe, expressed help.

Requested by Reuters in regards to the Macron remarks and the dangers and risk of a battle between Russia and Nato, Mr Putin quipped: “All the things is feasible within the fashionable world.”

“It’s clear to everybody, that this will probably be one step away from a full-scale World Conflict Three. I believe hardly anybody is on this,” Mr Putin advised reporters after claiming the largest ever landslide in post-Soviet Russian historical past.

Mr Putin added, although, that Nato army personnel have been current already in Ukraine, saying that Russia had picked up each English and French being spoken on the battlefield.

“There’s nothing good on this, to begin with for them, as a result of they’re dying there and in giant numbers,” he claimed.

Askold Krushelnycky studies from Pavlohrad, southeastern Ukraine, the place the most recent in a variety of convoys of autos and provides is handed over to assist Kyiv’s forces defend in opposition to Russia’s invasion

A decade in the past, president Vladimir Putin seized Crimea from Ukraine, a daring land seize that set the stage for Russia to invade its neighbor in 2022.

The fast and cold seizure of the diamond-shaped peninsula, residence to Russia’s Black Sea fleet and a preferred trip web site, touched off a wave of patriotism and despatched Mr Putin’s recognition hovering. “Crimea is ours!” turned a preferred slogan in Russia.

Now that Mr Putin has been anointed to a different six-year time period as president, he’s decided to increase his beneficial properties in Ukraine amid Russia’s battlefield successes and waning Western help for Kyiv.

The opposition’s name to protest in opposition to Vladimir Putin had been profitable, claimed Ivan Zhdanov, the top of the Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Basis, as protesters lined up outdoors Russia’s diplomatic missions in London, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Belgrade and different cities with giant Russian communities.

Protesters in Berlin displayed a determine of Mr Putin bathing in blood with the Ukrainian flag on the aspect, alongside shredded ballots in poll bins.Russian state tv and officers mentioned the traces overseas confirmed sturdy turnout.

In Tallinn, the place a whole bunch stood in a line snaking across the Estonian capital’s cobbled streets resulting in the Russian Embassy, 23-year-old Tatiana mentioned she got here to participate within the protest.“If we’ve some choice to protest I believe it’s essential to make the most of any alternative,” she mentioned, solely giving her first identify.

Boris Nadezhdin, a liberal politician who tried to hitch the race on an anti-war platform however was barred from working by election officers, voiced hope that many Russians solid their ballots in opposition to Putin.“I consider that the Russian individuals right now have an opportunity to point out their actual angle to what’s taking place by voting not for Putin, however for another candidates or in another means, which is strictly what I did,” he mentioned after voting in Dolgoprudny, a city simply outdoors Moscow.

Regardless of tight controls, a number of dozen instances of vandalism at polling stations have been reported throughout the voting interval in Russia.

A number of individuals have been arrested, together with in Moscow and St Petersburg, after they tried to begin fires or set off explosives at polling stations whereas others have been detained for throwing inexperienced antiseptic or ink into poll bins.

The OVD-Information group that displays political arrests mentioned that 80 individuals have been arrested in 20 cities throughout Russia yesterday.

Stanislav Andreychuk, co-chair of the Golos unbiased election watchdog, mentioned that strain on voters from regulation enforcement had reached unprecedented ranges.

Russians, he mentioned in a social media submit, have been searched when coming into polling stations, there have been makes an attempt to verify filled-out ballots earlier than they have been solid, and one report mentioned police demanded a poll field be opened to take away a poll.

“It’s the primary time in my life that I’ve seen such absurdities,” Mr Andreychuk wrote on the messaging app Telegram, including that he began monitoring elections in Russia 20 years in the past.

Supporters of Alexei Navalny streamed to his grave in Moscow, some bringing ballots together with his identify written on them.

Meduza, Russia’s largest unbiased information outlet, revealed photographs of ballots it acquired from their readers, with “killer” inscribed on one, “thief” on one other and “The Hague awaits you” on yet one more.

The final refers to an arrest warrant for Putin from the Worldwide Legal Courtroom that accuses him of non-public accountability for abductions of kids from Ukraine.

Some individuals advised the AP that they have been completely happy to vote for Mr Putin — unsurprising in a rustic the place unbiased media have been hobbled, state TV airs a drumbeat of reward for the Russian chief and voicing some other opinion is dangerous.

Dmitry Sergienko, who solid his poll in Moscow, mentioned, “I’m pleased with every little thing and need every little thing to proceed as it’s now.”

“As for Mr Navalny,” Mr Putin mentioned, “Sure, he handed away. That is all the time a tragic occasion.”

Learn extra on what he mentioned about Navalny on this report from my colleague Tom Watling:

Vladimir Putin dismissed the effectiveness of the “Midday in opposition to Putin” protest as he claimed victory in Russia’s sham presidential election on Sunday.“There have been calls to come back vote at midday.

And this was imagined to be a manifestation of opposition. Nicely, if there have been calls to come back vote, then … I reward this,” he mentioned at a information convention after polls closed.

Some Russians ready to vote in Moscow and St Petersburg advised the Related Press that they have been collaborating within the protest, but it surely wasn’t doable to verify whether or not all of these in line have been doing so.

One girl in Moscow, who mentioned her identify was Yulia, advised the AP that she was voting for the primary time.

“Even when my vote doesn’t change something, my conscience will probably be clear … for the longer term that I wish to see for our nation,” she mentioned. Like others, she didn’t give her full identify due to safety considerations.

One other Moscow voter, who additionally recognized himself solely by his first identify, Vadim, mentioned he hoped for change, however added that “sadly, it’s unlikely.”

From the hush of remoted Siberian villages to the clamor of massive cities to battle battered cities in occupied elements of Ukraine, Russians voted in a presidential election overwhelmingly dominated by Vladimir Putin.

With ballots counted from about 30% of precincts on Sunday night, Putin was clearly headed for victory, notching greater than 85% of the vote, in keeping with the nationwide election fee.

Putin’s glide to a different six-year tem was by no means doubtful.