Vladimir Putin has issued a chilling threat to the West over interference with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to legislators in St Petersburg on Wednesday, 27 April, Putin said his response to anyone who 'threatens' Russia will be 'lightning-fast'.
"If someone intends to interfere in what is going on from the outside they must know that constitutes an unacceptable strategic threat to Russia," Putin said.
"They must know that our response to counter strikes will be lightning fast. Fast.
"We have all the weapons we need for this. No one else can brag about these weapons, and we won’t brag about them. But we will use them," he added.
Although the 69-year-old did not mention nuclear weapons specifically, his statements can be seen as a reference to Russia's new Sarmat 2 nuclear missile, which was successfully tested earlier this month and has the capacity to travel 6,000 miles and target and area the size of France.
The Russian president also referred to the his counterparts as Western 'fascists', MailOnline reports.
He added: "For years they turned our neighbouring Ukraine into an anti-Russia.
"Let me remind you that Russia was always sympathetic and acted as a friend and as a comrade and as a brother, it viewed the creation of the independent Ukrainian state. At the time we thought this would be a friendly state.
"We would develop together and strengthen each-other and create the best conditions for our competition and development and of course we didn't expect they would create anti-Russian on that territory. We cannot allow this."
Putin, yet again, alleged that Ukraine was planning to acquire and develop nuclear weapons, to which he said was 'a real threat [to] our motherland'.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has spoken on Moscow’s threat of a 'proportional response' against Britain for backing Ukrainian strikes behind Russian lines, iNews reports.
Mr Raab, who is also Justice Secretary, told Sky News: “The Russian statement is unlawful and what we’re doing is lawful, we’re entitled, all states are entitled to provide military support to any state exercising the right of lawful defence against an aggressive invasion.
“Frankly if Russia starts threatening other countries it only adds further to their pariah status and will only further the solidarity and consensus in the international community that they must be stopped.”
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