Putin: NATO-Russia War Would be 'One Step Away' From WWIII

Facts

• After claiming a landslide victory in the Russian election — one which the West alleged was neither free nor fair — Pres. Vladimir Putin warned of the prospect of a 'full-scale Third World War' if a conflict between Russia and NATO were to break out. 'I think hardly anyone is interested in this,' he said.¹
• Putin made the comments after he was asked by a Reuters journalist to react to remarks by French Pres. Emmanuel Macron. Earlier this month, the French leader suggested the possibility of NATO troop deployments in Ukraine.²
• While Macron initially walked back some of his remarks, Macron reaffirmed his earlier position in an interview published with Le Parisien over the weekend. He said that ground operations in Ukraine might be necessary 'at some point.' The French president added, 'Our duty is to prepare for all scenarios.'³
• In Monday's remarks, Putin alleged that NATO troops were in fact already deployed in Ukraine, stating that Russian troops frequently heard French and English voices on the battlefield. 'There is nothing good in this, first of all for them, because they are dying there and in large numbers,' Putin said.²
• The Russian leader also addressed the death of Alexei Navalny, the jailed dissident who died in a Russian penal colony last month. 'It happens,' Putin said. 'There is nothing you can do about it. It’s life.' Prior to Monday's remarks, Ukraine's military intelligence chief conceded that Navalny likely died from a blood clot.⁴
• Meanwhile, Putin also dismissed Western allegations of election rigging and reiterated his openness to a negotiated settlement in Ukraine. 'I've been saying it over and over again and I'll say it again. We are for peace talks, but not just because the enemy is running out of bullets,' Putin said.²

Sources: ¹Newsweek, ²Euractiv, ³World Socialist Web Site and ⁴Associated Press.

Narratives

• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. The way the world is going, it's not unforeseeable that Russia could be in conflict with NATO — a step that would be one removed from World War III. No one wants this scenario, and Russia remains open to respectful negotiations. In their absence, Russia will continue fighting for its independence and sovereignty.
• Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by Ukrainska Pravda. After Russia's so-called 'elections' where nine out of 10 people are said to have voted for Putin, the autocrat is once again threatening the world with the prospect of global war, hoping to deter using bullying tactics of intimidation.

Predictions