The Russian President revealed his country will be forced to take countermeasures should Donald Trump's administration put intermediate-range missiles in Europe
VLADIMIR Putin has issued a chilling threat about the "end of all civilisation" if Russia's nuke row with the United States escalates.
The Russian President accused Donald Trump's administration of raising the risk of nuclear war by stating their intention to withdraw from the INF treaty.
Speaking at his annual news conference, Putin warned that "the danger of the situation is being downplayed".
And he warned an arms race could "lead to the collapse of the entire civilisation and maybe our planet".
President Trump controversially claimed that his reasons for withdrawing were because Russia had been violating the 1987 treaty "for many years" by building banned weapons.
But Putin has now fired back by saying the decision to withdraw from the historic treaty would have unpredictable consequences.
Putin added: “We are essentially witnessing the breakdown of the international arms control order and (the start of) an arms race.
“If, God forbid, something like that were to happen, it would lead to the end of all civilization and maybe also the planet.”
The INF treaty was signed by President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987 and required both countries to eliminate all their nuclear missiles with a range of 300-3,400 miles.
The Russian leader also noted that the US appears to show little interest in extending the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty, which expires in 2021.
The agreement limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads each country is allowed to have.
Putin said: "You aren't interested, you don't need it? OK, we know how to ensure our security.
"But in general, this is very bad for humankind because it takes us closer to a dangerous threshold.”
THE INF treaty has held since 1987 when it was signed by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
It has kept nuclear missiles out of Europe for three decades and required both countries to eliminate all their nuclear missiles with a range of between 300 miles and 3,400 miles.
The treaty was the first time the countries had agreed to reduce their nuclear weapons and led to nearly 2,700 short and medium-range missiles being dismantled.
The Russian president previously said Moscow had developed nuclear weapons which he believed gave it an edge over other countries.
At a defence meeting in Russia, the ex-KGB hardman made the boast as he told Kremlin war chiefs about a “serious breakthrough” in his missile development programme.
Putin boasted the Vostok 2018 war-games had got “good results” and noted partners from China and Mongolia had acted in line with the general plan.
He also added that the Ocean Shield drills, held in the Mediterranean for the first time this year had been a success.
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