'If NATO clashes with Russian army, it will lead to global catastrophe,' says Putin

Moscow, Oct 15: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday has warned that if there is any direct contact or direct clash of NATO troops with the Russian army, it would be very dangerous and could lead to a global catastrophe.

Addressing the news conference in Kazakhstan's capital Astana, Putin said, "In any case, direct contact, direct clash of (NATO) troops with the Russian army is a very dangerous move which could lead to a global catastrophe. I hope that those who are saying this are smart enough not to take such a step."

"What is happening today is not pleasant. But all the same, (if Russia hadn't attacked in February) we would have been in the same situation, only the conditions would have been worse for us," Putin told reporters after a summit in the capital of Kazakhstan, as reported by news agency ANI.

On Friday, Putin had also said that Moscow was "doing everything right" in its nearly eight-month invasion of Ukraine despite a string of embarrassing defeats, as Kyiv said it was "stronger than ever" and would emerge victorious.

Earlier, Putin had warned that he would use nuclear weapons to defend Russian territory after annexing four regions of Ukraine last month, a move which the UN this week condemned.

On Tuesday, Group of Seven (G7) nations warned that the use of nuclear weapons on Ukraine will have severe consequences, according to a statement released by the White House.

Leaders of G7 states (the UK, Germany, Italy, Canada, the US, France, and Japan) said, "We deplore deliberate Russian escalator steps, including the partial mobilization of reservists and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, which is putting global peace and security at risk. We reaffirm that any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences."

The statement came after the G7 held a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that took place against the backdrop of the recent missile attacks against civilian infrastructure and cities across Ukraine, leading to the death of innocent civilians.

Earlier, on Monday, Russia conducted that large-scale strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other locations on Monday, which drew condemnation from several countries.