As tensions between Russia and NATO continue to rise due to Russian incursions into European airspace, a key ally to Putin has given a chilling warning that could kick off WW3

Fears of an all-out war between Russia and NATO have continued to skyrocket. These worries come after a key ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said there could be a “nuclear apocalypse” if escalations continue.

Currently, tensions between Russia and the West are at an all-time high, as Moscow continues to invade NATO airspace. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has outright denied they are responsible for the incursions, and are now telling Russians to prepare for a war with the alliance.

As a result, nations such as Poland have signalled they will strike down any aircraft that enters their airspace illegally. US President Donald Trump has also given his approval for the move, saying any NATO member should be allowed to target Russian aircraft violating its territory.

But while NATO continues to prepare for a confrontation with Moscow in a potential World War 3 scenario, one key ally of Vladimir Putin has warned against escalation. It comes after Moscow carried out war games together with Belarus in recent weeks, in potential preparation of the military offensive.

Belarus’ dictator president Alexander Lukashenko warned the West against striking Russian military targets, after the Kremlin stations atomic missiles in Belarus, which shares a border with three NATO members — Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The Oreshnik missiles have the capability of carrying nuclear warheads, and can cause major damage to cities, with London being decimated in just eight minutes if launched from Belarusian territory.

In a chilling speech delivered to the United Nations, Belarus’ foreign minister Maxim Ryzhenkov told the General Assembly that the world was heading back to a point “where the nuclear threat is clearly visible”. He also made reference to the Doomsday Clock, which puts the potential for all-out nuclear destruction as being seconds away.

“The Doomsday Clock shows less than one and a half minutes to midnight, symbolising the moment of nuclear apocalypse,” Maxim told diplomats. “This is the closest the clock has ever been to midnight.”

He went on to blame the West for rearming with nuclear weapons during the period, and said this posed a huge threat to their nation, which has since become economically and militarily reliant on the Kremlin. But things had now changed, and Belarus was now a “monstrous destructive power”, ready to destroy its enemies.

Lukashenko, who was in the crowd at the time of the speech, burst out into fits of laughter saying he would have the missiles delivered to him very soon. “It’s on its way,” the dictator explained, “everything will be fine.”

Meanwhile, Russia continues to build a large military base in the village of Pavlovka just outside the Belarusian capital Minsk, so that the weapons can be close to NATO borders. Spanning the size of around 280 football pitches, the site will house the Oreshnik missiles, which were recently tested on targets in Ukraine.

Putin has claimed that targets hit by the missiles would be incinerated, with temperatures reaching up to 4000C, the rough temperature of the surface of the sun. The missiles are also believed to be capable of holding nuclear warheads.

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By staronline@reachplc.com (Will Stewart, Rory Gannon)

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