WW3 fears erupt as Russia issues 7-word nuclear threat while Trump mulls Ukraine decision

Top Kremlin-backed propagandist and Vladimir Putin ally, Vladimir Solovyov, took to his popular TV show to threaten Ukraine with nuclear annihilation as Donald Trump prepared to meet with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. The US President has been mulling over providing Kyiv with Tomahawk cruise missiles, which has enraged top officials and media personalities in Moscow.

Speaking on his show, Solovyov warned Kyiv: "Tactical nuclear weapons can pave the way for our troops very quickly and very effectively. After this, the West will start screaming. This isn't written in military textbooks. From the inside of a tank ... you can barely hear objections from the West.

"In response, will the West try to strike us with nuclear weapons? Of course not. The West knows all too well that it's impossible. Can our military achieve this goal? Of course. Do they know how to do it? The unquestionably do."

This comes as Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky prepare for their meeting on Friday at the White House.

The US president has recently signalled closer ties with his Ukrainian counterpart despite pressuring him for months to make concessions in the war.

Earlier this week, the pair held a phone call to discuss sending Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, which would allow them to strike deeper into Russia.

They also talked about Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy grid, bolstering Kyiv's air defences, and Mr Trump's efforts to bring peace in the Middle East.

Mr Zelensky described it as "very productive", praising Mr Trump for being "well-informed about everything that is happening".

He added: "We see and hear that Russia fears the Americans might provide us with Tomahawks, which signals that this kind of pressure could be effective in achieving peace."

Mr Trump said he has "sort of made a decision" on whether to send Ukraine the weapons, but wants "to find out what they're doing with them".