WW3 fears explode as Russia sends Trump 9-word nuclear destruction threat

Vladimir Putin's mouthpiece and top Kremlin propagandist, Vladimir Solovyov, has warned Mr Trump over the US President's threat to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles. The leading Russian media figure said: "We don't need your love, we need your fear." The comment came during a diatribe threatening Trump, the West and Ukraine with destruction. On his popular TV show, Solovyov raged: "Any European, American or other moron... You still can't understand, we don't care whether you are able to hear us; your emotions are of very little importance to us. We know that we are enemies; you shouldn't harbour any illusions."

Apparently referencing nuclear war between Russia and the West, he continued: "You will be destroyed, it's clear and precise. You don't have to listen to us, to love us or to giggle... I will tell you once again: We do not need your love, we need your fear. Animal-like horror. It will get to this, it certainly will." The chilling comments were the latest threat out of Moscow after President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Russia that he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow doesn't settle its war there soon, suggesting that he could be ready to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putin's Government using a key weapons system.

"I might say, 'Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I'm going to send them Tomahawks," Mr Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he flew to the Middle East for negotiations on the Israel-Gaza conflict this week.

"The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that. I might tell them that if the war is not settled - that we may very well. We may not, but we may do it. I think it's appropriate to bring up."

The threat marked a further splintering of relations between the US and Russia, with Mr Trump appearing to take a tougher stance towards Putin after the Russian leader refused to engage in direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about easing the fighting.

Putin has previously suggested that the US supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine would seriously damage the relationship between Moscow and Washington.

Last month, Mr Trump also announced that he now believes Ukraine could win back all the territory lost to Russia since the invasion in 2022, a dramatic shift from his earlier calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end the three-year conflict.

So far, the US President has resisted Zelensky's request for Tomahawks, however, which would allow Ukraine to strike further into Russian territory. In a recent interview with Fox News, Mr Zelensky said his conversations with the US leader on the topic had been "very productive" and suggested they were "working on" the deployment of missiles to eastern Europe.