Vlad: I'll fire nukes

Putin's veiled threat as Ukraine fires U.S missiles | Starmer tells Kremlin to dial down the rhetoric

- DAVE BURKE , MIKEY SMITH

VLADIMIR Putin stoked fears he could use nuclear weapons as Ukraine fired its first long-range US missiles into Russia.

The tyrant had previously vowed to hit back if Western artillery was fired deep into his country.

He yesterday released a revised official document approving atomic "retribution" if the country feels "under threat" - just days after US President Joe Biden gave Kyiv permission to use ATACMS weapons.

At a G20 meeting in Rio yesterday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer sent a stern message to the Kremlin: "End the war. Get out of Ukraine."

Urging Putin to back down from stoking fears of World War Three, Mr Starmer said: "There's irresponsible rhetoric coming from Russia and that is not going to deter our support for Ukraine.

"We're now on day 1,000 of a conflict, that's 1,000 days of Russian aggression, 1,000 days of sacrifices in Ukraine. We've stood with Ukraine from the start.

We need to ensure Ukraine has what is needed for as long as needed to win this war against Putin." It came as British troops took part in NATO training manoeuvres in Finland this week. Mr Starmer now faces calls to give Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky the green light to use British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of 200 miles.

President Putin has been absent from the G20 summit, as attending would risk his arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant.

Mr Starmer dubbed him "the author of his own exile".

Mr Zelensky warned European Parliament members in Kyiv yesterday Putin is not interested in ending the war.

He said: "Each new attack by Russia only confirms Putin's true intentions.