Kremlin warns threat of nuclear war has ‘never been so great since Cuban missile crisis’

Russia’s government says the threat of World War Three breaking out has ‘never been so real’ (Picture: EPA)

The Kremlin has issued a stark warning that the threat of a nuclear world war is at the highest level it’s been for 60 years.

Tensions between Russia and the USA have been rising since the outbreak of Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine in February 2022.

And now one of Putin’s closest aides has made a grim prediction that ‘new rivers of blood will flow’.

Dmitry Medvedev, who is the deputy head of the Russian government’s security council, said: ‘Never since the Cuban Missile Crisis has the threat of a direct clash between Russia and NATO leading to the Third World War been so real.’

Until now, the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 is seen as the moment the world came closest to a nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union.

It comes just weeks after Putin confirmed he was set to give the world’s biggest ballistic missile a trial run by launching it over the South Pole.

He plans to soon make the nuclear doomsday weapon the size of a 14-storey tower block combat ready.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s security council, pictured with president Vladimir Putin (Picture: Reuters)

Russia has run nuclear weapon test drills on numerous occasions (Picture: AP)

A former Russian president himself, Medvedev has heavily criticised Joe Biden’s administration attempts to force the US congress to approve more military support for Ukraine.

‘Never have they extorted so much money for a minor state [Ukraine] that is in the process of collapse,’ he said.

The senior Kremlin figure also referenced allegations of shady business dealings linked to the US president’s son Hunter in Kyiv with bold claims.

He said: ‘Never have they so aggressively and brazenly extracted money for a country that openly corrupted the current president of the United States and members of his family.’

Russia has been developing nuclear missiles (Picture: AP)

Medvedev claimed on his Telegram channel that lawmakers were being told to ‘give money…otherwise we’ll have to start a war with the Russians’.

This has happened before in history but the current crisis was more dangerous, he said.

‘This is a new phenomenon in American political discourse, created by Joe, Hunter and Partners.

‘They face the prospect of impeachment (which is unlikely) and losing the elections (which is very likely).

‘Hence the boorish blackmail, continuous hysteria and wild hints addressed to us.’

Dmitry Medvedev, left, pictured visiting the Prudboi military training ground in the Volgograd region of Russia alongside deputy defence minister Nikolay Pankov (Picture: Reuters)

He predicted a logjam which has stopped US congressional approval for new military aid will be overcome.

Medvedev added: ‘The administration and their frightened fosterling [Ukraine] will, of course, receive the money.

‘Not now, but in the new year – to continue business during the war at any cost.

‘And for this loot new rivers of blood will flow, for which the Biden family and all their Bandera bast**** are responsible.’

The Cuban missile crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the US and Soviet Union.

Demonstrators protested in Whitehall, London against the USA’s handling of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 (Picture: Getty Images)

American deployed missiles in Italy and Turkey, which prompted Soviet deployments of nuclear missiles in Cuba.

After extensive consultation with his foreign policy and military advisers, president John F. Kennedy blockaded Cuba on October 22, 1962.

With the two sides on the brink of nuclear war, Soviet president Nikita Khrushchev capitulated six days later and the missiles were dismantled.

In return, JFK also disbanded the USA’s missile sites in Turkey – but the saga is widely considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-blown nuclear conflict.

Last month, Putin also staged nuclear drills with ‘White Swan’ bombers close to UK waters.

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