Putin warns West of risk of nuclear war, says Moscow can strike Western targets

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened the West with his country’s nuke arsenal ‘that can hit targets on their territory’ if they continue supporting Ukraine. During his annual address to parliament and other high-ranking officials on Thursday, Putin, 71, repeatedly accused the West of being focused on weakening the Eastern European country while issuing the ominous warning. “(Western nations) must realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory,” Putin said. “All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don’t they get that?!” Putin, who is all but set to be reelected to another six-year term during the upcoming March 15-17 presidential election, boasted about Russia’s vast arsenal of modern nuclear weapons, the largest in the world.