A top Kremlin minister claims Russia is committed to stopping a nuclear war amid growing fears that Vladimir Putin could trigger one.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the claims during an interview with an Italian TV programme on Sunday.
He said through an interpreter: "Western media misrepresent Russian threats.
"Russia has never interrupted efforts to reach agreements that guarantee that a nuclear war never develops."
Lavrov's comments are in stark contrast to earlier threats, when he warned the "danger is serious" of a nuclear war.
Tyrant Vladimir Putin also made veiled references to Moscow's nuclear capabilities when he warned Western leaders - who have supported battered Ukraine with armaments and cash - not to meddle in his war.
Meanwhile, Russian state TV "pundits" have already begun simulating how a nuclear strike on a number of European cities - including London - would play out.
Presenters declared there would be “no survivors” during a TV rant in response to UK support for Ukraine.
Putin propagandists on TV recreated nuclear strikes on three European capitals, claiming the nukes would hit Paris, Berlin, and London in around 200 seconds.
As tensions continue to ramp up amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, there’s growing concern that the rest of the world may be dragged into the fighting.
In response to comments made by the UK’s Armed Forces Minister in support of Ukrainian attacks on Russia, hosts on Channel One’s 60 Minutes programme claimed the nukes could strike European capitals less than four minutes after being launched.
The terrifying claims about Russia ’s nukes were made on the popular TV show which is one of the country's most watched.
It came after the UK's defence secretary warned Putin could declare a new world war within days.
Ben Wallace said that the Russian leader may start a “mass” mobilisation and use May Day to announce a war on the world’s “Nazis”.
Putin started the Russian invasion of its neighbour on February 24 saying that it was a special operation to rid Ukraine of Nazis.
Since then Ukrainian cities have been pummelled by shelling in a battle which government minister Liz Truss has said could go on for 10 years.
Now Mr Wallace has told LBC that Putin having "failed" in most of his objectives in the war with Ukraine may declare war on the "world's Nazis".
He said: “I would not be surprised . . . that he is probably going to declare on May Day that ‘we are now at war with the world’s Nazis and we need to mass mobilise the Russian people’.”
