A senior Russian adviser has issued a stark warning that Europe would be 'finished physically' if Russia ever faced defeat in Ukraine. Sergey Karaganov, who heads Russia's Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, made the chilling threat during an interview with American broadcaster Tucker Carlson that aired this week.
The hardliner told Carlson that should Russia come close to losing the war, Vladimir Putin 'would use nuclear weapons and Europe would be finished physically'. His comments have sent shockwaves across the continent as tensions between Russia and the West continue to escalate.
'Too Patient' With Europe
Karaganov did not hold back in his criticism of European leadership, accusing them of suffering from 'intellectual incapacity'. He dismissed any possibility of Russian defeat as a 'fantastic illusion'. The Kremlin insider went further, suggesting his own government has been 'too patient' with Europe.
'I am criticising my government of being too prudent and too patient with them,' he told Carlson. 'But sooner or later, if they continue to support this war, sacrificing numerous of the Ukrainians and others, we'll have to punish them severely.'
Europe Ridiculed as Global Joke
In a sweeping attack on European credibility, Karaganov claimed the continent has become a global joke. 'Everybody in the world now laughs at Europe, which used to be, by the way, one of the core centres of world power,' he stated. 'Now it's a joke.'
The adviser alleged that European nations have been 'intellectually degrading' since 1968, leaving them 'unable to understand what is happening fully'. He suggested Europeans believe war will never reach their territory because they have 'forgot about the war and that it's terrible'. Karaganov said one of Russia's tasks is to 'bring them to senses hopefully without using nuclear weapons'.
Greenland Tensions Add Pressure
His inflammatory remarks come at a particularly tense moment. Britain has just dispatched a military officer to Greenland, whilst Denmark bolsters its armed forces presence in the Arctic following Donald Trump's persistent demands for America to seize control of the territory. Denmark's defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, announced the joint operation would include multiple allied nations, cautioning that 'no one can predict what will happen tomorrow'.
Germany, Sweden, Norway and France have all confirmed they will deploy personnel to the collaborative mission. France is sending 15 soldiers, whilst Germany is deploying 13. The operation aims to strengthen regional security and chart additional cooperation ahead of larger exercises planned later this year.
The Karaganov Doctrine
Karaganov is no minor figure in Russian policy circles. He sits on Russia's Security Council's scientific subcommittee and remains close to Putin despite not holding an official government position. He's known for drafting the 'Karaganov Doctrine', which insists that Russia should defend ethnic Russians in former Soviet territories, even if it requires the use of force, according to Townhall.
His views have grown more radical since 2023 when he published A Difficult But Necessary Decision, which laid out the case for nuclear war. He argued that because the West had 'lost its fear of nuclear war', Moscow should lower its threshold for using nuclear weapons. Putin formalised elements of the Karaganov Doctrine in November 2024, approving a revised nuclear policy that lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons.
The previous policy required a threat to 'the very existence of the state'. Now it allows for the use of nuclear weapons in response to threats against 'sovereignty and territorial integrity'. The doctrine includes an 'aggregation clause', designating any NATO member providing military support to Ukraine as a potential target for nuclear strikes.
⚡️🚨 Russia Will Nuke Germany & the UK if Ukraine War Continues, Warns Top Putin Advisor
— Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil (@ivan_8848) January 15, 2026
UK has been sabotaging that war since old Boris.
Russia sends terrifying nuclear WW3 threat to UK – ‘You will be finished’
Sergey Karaganov, head of Russia’s Council for Foreign and Defense… pic.twitter.com/nSMinQH0TB
What's at Stake
The simultaneous crises over Ukraine and Greenland have exposed deep fractures in the Western alliance. Trump's territorial ambitions towards a NATO ally have forced European nations into defending Danish sovereignty while attempting to reassure Washington about Arctic security. Karaganov's warnings make clear that Moscow views continued European military aid to Kyiv as an existential issue, one they are prepared to answer with nuclear force if pushed to the brink.
