With war in Iran, will Putin now trigger a "nuclear" assault against Ukraine and start WW3?

On 18 April 2024, 2 years ago, Sumi Somaskanda & Holly Honderich (left) reported that,

"Ukraine's [then] prime minister [Denys Shmyhal] has told the BBC there will be a "Third World War" if Ukraine loses its conflict with Russia, as he urged the US Congress to pass a long-stalled foreign aid bill. (BBC News: 18 April 2024) (my emphasis) 

 

 

BBC News: 18 April 2024

They further reported Denys Shmyhal (left) stating that,

"If we will not protect... Ukraine will fall," he added. "So the global, the global system of security will be destroyed... and all the world will need to find... a new system of security.

"Or, there will be many conflicts, many such kinds of wars, and in the end of the day, it could lead to the Third World War." (ibid Sumi Somaskanda & Holly Honderich)   

Fast foreward to 22 February 2026 and, in an interview with Jeremy Bowen, 

"Putin, Zelensky told me, has already started World War Three, and the only answer was intense military and economic pressure to force him to step back.

"I believe that Putin has already started it. The question is how much territory he will be able to seize and how to stop him... Russia wants to impose on the world a different way of life and change the lives people have chosen for themselves." (BBC News : 22 February 2026) (my emphasis)

 

BBC News : 22 February 2026 

 

And we now learn from CNN that,

 

"Sources tell CNN that Russia is aiding Iran's war effort by providing intel on US military targets. When President Trump was asked about this, this is how he reacted :- 

 

Reporter: It sounds like the Russians are helpig Iran target and attack Americans now. 

 

Trump: That's an easy problem compared to what we're doing here. But .. but .. Can I be honest. It's just ... I have a lot of respect for you ... You've lways been very nice to me ... What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time ... We're talking about something else..." (CNN: 7 March 2026) (my emphasis)

 CNN: 7 March 2026 : YouTube

 

CNN goes further on to report that,

 

 "The US also has intelligence suggesting that China may be preparing to provide Iran with financial assistance, spare parts, and missile components, three people familiar with the matter said". (ibid CNN)

 

 Interestingly, as reported by Antonio Scancariello (left),

"Donald Trump has slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and praised Vladimir Putin as he discussed the Ukraine-Russia war. The US President told POLITICO the United States would help choose Iran's next leader, predicted the downfall of the Cuban regime, and attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the tech giant Anthropic." (Express: 5 March 2026) (my emphasis)

So Trump is "praising" Putin, who is helping Iran locate US army positions so that they can more precisely direct their bombs against US sodiers and equipment, whilst at the same time, as reported by James Landale (right),

"The US has asked Ukraine for help defending Gulf allies against Iranian drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He said Ukraine's partners had been reaching out and there had been "requests from the American side".

Zelensky said he had given instructions "to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the necessary security".

Asked about the Ukrainian offer, US President Donald Trump said: "I'll take any assistance from any country." (BBC News: 5 March 2026) (my emphasis)

 

The confusion in Trump's mind by :-

•  "slamming" Zelensky on the one hand, and then 
• "asking Zelensky for help against Iran" on the other hand, 

indicates not only "mental confusion" but, more dangerously, a state of mind verging on "mental incapacity".

 

Whilst Putin suffers from the "demented delusions" about re-creating an imaginary "Novorossiya" (Wikipedia) in his war against Ukraine, Trump likewise suffers from the "delusion" about "the United States helping to choose Iran's next leader".

 

As Putin's war with Ukraine becomes inextricably intertwined with helping Iran target soldiers and military equipment in their war with the US, and given Iran's goal of achieving "nuclear bomb" status, Zelensky may be correct is saying that,

 

"Putin ...  has already started World War Three"

 

Will events in Iran, and his failing war in Ukraine, tip Putin over the edge into the abyss of triggering a "nuclear" assault against Ukraine?  

 

UPDATE: 8 March 2026: GMT 20.14 

 

According to the Sun, Russian tech has been found in an Iranian drone that hit the RAF base in Cyprus.  

 

As reported by Robert Folker,

"The Iranian drone that hit a British airbase in Cyprus was equipped with Russian military hardware, it has been reported.

RAF Akrotiri was struck by an Iranian drone fired from Lebanon on Sunday, and it is understood to have contained a Russian-made Kometa-B navigation system.

The piece of technology was first seen in drones that were intercepted by Ukrainian air defences in December.." (Express: 8 March 2026) (my emphasis) 

 

 The Sun : 8 March 2026: YouTube 

 

 

UPDATE (2): 9 March 2026: GMT 09.46 

 

Just this morning Will Stewart (left), Charlie Bradley (right) report that,

"The Kremlin has warned that “it seems to us that the end of the world is upon us”
…
Vladimir Putin’s spokesman hit out at a breakdown in “international law” - even though it was Russia that triggered such turmoil with its own illegal four-year invasion of Ukraine.
… 
The doom-laden warning for the planet came amid massive US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which the Kremlin labelled a “perfect storm”.

Russia appears helpless to assist Tehran except possibly in providing intelligence on American and Israeli military positions." (Express: 9  March 2026)  (my emphasis)

 
We have to ask ourselves,

 

"Will events in Iran, and his failing war in Ukraine, tip Putin over the edge into the abyss of triggering a "nuclear" assault against Ukraine, that has precipitated the Kremlin warning that, "it seems to us that the end of the world is upon us?"  

 

 

 

(to be continued)

Will Putin finally push the 'nuclear button' to save himself?

The assasination of  Ali Khamenei (Sam Woodhouse: BBC News: 28 February 2026), on 28 February 2026, in a joint airstrike operation by the United States and Israel, following on from the recent arrest in Veneuela of President Nicolás Maduro, and his removal to a prison in New York by US forces, must have caused Putin to sink into a puddle of absolute fear for his own life.

 

Fox News : 28 February 2026 : YouTube

And as Namita Singh and Harriette Boucher (left) report, the repercussion on the US-brokered "Peace Talks"  between the US, Russia, and Ukraine, is that it has been immediately postponed.

As they report,

"Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that US-brokered peace talks could be postponed due to the attacks throughout the Middle East. 
… 
The possible delay to talks comes after the US and Israel launched strikes on Tehran on Saturday, provoking Iranian attacks throughout the region.

It follows Zelensky’s calls for the Trump administration to ramp up its efforts in ending Russia’s four-year-long invasion of Ukraine." (The Independent: 28 February 2026) (my emphasis)

And against this backdrop, the Military Show reports that on 23rd February 2026, Ukraine just wiped out a key and critical oil facility in Almtyevsk, Tartastan,

"...  [the Kaleykino] oil pumping station, that is responsible for processing 30 percent of the crude oil that flows through the Druzhba oil pipeline, [and potentially earned for Russia $32.2 billion dollars a year]." (The Military Show : 27 February 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

The Military Show : 27 February 2026: YouTube 

Furthermore, as reported by Ivan Diakonov,

"Ukraine's defence forces have regained 201 sq km of territory from Russian troops between 11 and 15 February, marking the fastest advance by Ukrainian forces in more than two and a half years.
… 
The area of liberated territory is said to be almost equal to the total gains made by Russian forces over the whole of December 2025." (Ukrayinska Pravda on Yahoo News: 16 February 2026) (my emphasis)

And as also reported by James C. Reynolds (left),

"On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that it was “only a matter of time” before his country recovered all of its lost territory. 
… 
Ukraine recovered control of 400 sq km of territory, including eight settlements, in February, the head of the military announced on Monday. Those figures improve upon the 300 sq km of land that Zelensky claimed Kyiv’s forces had recovered only last week – and will more than cancel out the 389 sq km Russia was assessed to have gained in January." (The Independent: 25 February 2026) (my emphasis)   

In light of what has happened to Ali Khamenei and Nicolás Maduro, is it any wonder that, as Kathrine Frich (right) reported,

"Putin builds 'parallel army' to protect himself, defense expert warns.

But after internal unrest, elite tensions and the shock of the 2023 Wagner mutiny, analysts say the Russian president may be increasingly focused on safeguarding his grip on authority.
… 
William James Dixon, a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told the Kyiv Post that a recent Kremlin decree appears to bolster Russia’s National Guard, known as Rosgvardia.
… 
According to his analysis, Rosgvardia now operates under “general operational control” of its director, Viktor Zolotov, who reports directly to Putin. (Dagens.com UK: 21 February 2026) (my emphasis) 

The $64 question now is,

"How will the unfolding events in Iran affect the people of Russia in their attitude towards Putin and his war in Ukraine?" 

Will they forever resign themselves to suffering the increasing loss of  their 'freedoms' and their increasing poverty that Putin's 'demented' and 'cruel' war in Ukraine continues to heap upon their shoulders?

Will Putin now finally push the 'nuclear button' to save himself?

 In the words of Konstantin Samoilov (left),

"Russia is raising the level of informational panic and dis-information with 'nuclear scare stories'. (Inside Russia : 28 February 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis) 

                       

 Excerpt from : Inside Russia : 28 February 2026: YouTube

 But are these simply "scare stories" ... "nuclear blackmail" ? 

  

 (to be continued)

Putin's 'parallel army' is now all that protects him.

As the allied forces converged on Berlin in 1945, 

"Huge numbers of underage males were removed from school in early 1945, and sent on what were essentially suicide missions. Hitler Youth activities often included learning to throw grenades and dig trenches, bayonet drills and escaping under barbed wire under pistol fire; the boys were encouraged to find these activities exhilarating and exciting." (Wikipedia)  

Fast forward to 2026 and Konstantin Samoilov informs us that,

• 
  "Russia's Minister of 'emergency situations', Alexander Kurenkov, stated that the units of  the Federal Fire Service  are staffed by only 65 1/2%. The situation is most acute. ... 105 thousand firefighter jobs not filled.
• Kurenkov also said that military service conscripts (18-year olds) will be used by the Ministry of Emergency Situations as firefighters." (Inside Russia: 23 February 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

 Excerpt from: Inside Russia: 23 February 2026: YouTube

Furthermore, as reported by a Frontline and Times News reporter (left), 

"[Ukraine Army Chief] General Oleksandr Syrskyi (right) said that they killed or wounded 32,000 Russians alone last month. ...  At the moment, that is MORE THAN Russia's recruitment rate" (Frontline and Times News: 21 February 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

 Frontline and Times News: 21 February 2026: YouTube

As Arcady Ostrovsky (left) also explains,

"This is an economy that in order to continue expanding on the military and on the war have to extract money not just from the ground, but from the people ... from its future. 

So it's a kind of mortgage war ... and it is consuming itself. And this is why Russia is struggling to replenish the troops ... " (The Economist: 21 February 2026; YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

 The Economist: 21 February 2026; YouTube

And as reported by  Liliana Oleniak (left),

"Russian President Vladimir Putin is creating the informational conditions for the resumption of limited, staggered conscription of reservists. In this way, Russia is trying to compensate for its losses in the war against Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Analysts note that a series of recent decisions by the Russian authorities indicate preparations for the conscription of reservists." (RBC-Ukraine: 19 February 2026) (my emphasis)

Liliana Oleniak goes on to report that,

"The Kremlin is likely pressuring Ukraine to immediately concede to Russia's long-standing demands in peace talks in order to secure its military objectives without having to make uncomfortable sacrifices." (ibid Liliana Oleniak)

The demonic daily bombardment by Putin of Ukraine's civilains and its energy infrastructure, even as the so-called 'peace talks' between Ukraine and Russia are taking place, is a poweful indicator of just how paranoid Putin is, and how fearful he is of totally lossing power and, in the process, possibly his life. 

Is it any wonder that, as Kathrine Frich (left) reports,

"Putin builds 'parallel army' to protect himself, defense expert warns.

But after internal unrest, elite tensions and the shock of the 2023 Wagner mutiny, analysts say the Russian president may be increasingly focused on safeguarding his grip on authority.
… 
William James Dixon, a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told the Kyiv Post that a recent Kremlin decree appears to bolster Russia’s National Guard, known as Rosgvardia.
… 
According to his analysis, Rosgvardia now operates under “general operational control” of its director, Viktor Zolotov, who reports directly to Putin. (Dagens.com UK: 21 February 2026) (my emphasis) 

As with the implosion of Trump's "tariff " Foreign Policy, Putin's 'parallel army' is now all that protects him. 

  

 (to be continued)

Like Putin, Trump is clutching at straws to save himself.

The dust has finally settled on the Munich Security Conference of 2026, at which the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, presented the European leaders with a "slicker variation" of the "finger wagging" of Vance (left) at European leaders during the Munich Security Conference in 2025.

As US Vice president Vance then stated in his 2025 speech to European leaders,

"The threat that I worry the most about vis a vis Europe is not Russia, its not China, its not any other external actor.

And what I worry about is the threat from within" (video: The White House: 2025: YouTube)

Furthermore, he stated that,

"... Of all the threatening challenges that the nations here face, I believe that there's nothing more urgent than mass migration ... " (ibid  The White House)   

 

Excerpts from : The White House: 2025: YouTube) 

And in his recent speech to the 2026 Munich Security Conference; in his opening remarks, Marco Rubio (left) stated that,

"And in a pursuit of a world without borders, we opened our doors to an unprecedent wave of mass migration, that threatens the cohesion of our societies, the continuity of our culture, and the future of our people." (video: Alert News: 15 February 2026: YouTube) 

 

Excerpt: Alert News: 15 February 2026: YouTube 

Is it any wonder that, as reported by Sky News,

"While officials from the US, Ukraine and Russia were locked in talks in Geneva yesterday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was criticisng part of Donald Trump's approach to peace.

Ukraine's president said Trump was exerting undue pressure on him to try to secure an end to the war.

In an interview with Axios, Zelenskyy said it was "not fair" that Trump kept publicly calling on Ukraine, not Russia, to make concessions.

"I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision," he said of Trump." (Sky News: 18 February 2026) (my emphasis) 

 

Sky News: 18 February 2026

As reported by Barak Ravid and Dave Lawler (left),

"The Ukrainian people would reject a peace deal that involves Ukraine unilaterally withdrawing from the eastern Donbas region and turning it over to Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky told Axios in an interview Tuesday." (Axios: 17 February 2026) (my emphasis)

As also reported by Tinshui Yeung (right),

"Zelensky has come under pressure from the White House to hold presidential elections, which have been suspended while the country is under martial law.

Asked about a Financial Times report that his administration was planning for elections as soon as May, Zelensky said it was "something new to me" and repeated that "nobody supports elections during the war". (BBC News: 14 February 2026) (my emphasis)

And in his frantic attempt to influence the "peace talks" in Geneva, Putin continues to unleash his "demented and genocidal" onslaught against the Ukrainian people.

As reported by Max Hunder (left), 

 "Russian forces pounded Ukrainian power infrastructure before a new round of peace talks, killing three energy workers and leaving tens of thousands of people without power and heat, officials said on Tuesday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the overnight strikes on 12 Ukrainian regions that came under attack hours before the scheduled start of U.S.-backed trilateral talks involving Kyiv and Moscow in Geneva." (Reuters: 17 February 2026) (my emphasis)

Putin is now pulling out all the stops to save himself from being overthrown. 

As Michael D. Carroll (left) earlier reported,

"Vladimir Putin is restructuring Russia's internal security apparatus in a move analysts believe is aimed at shielding his regime from dangers lurking within his own ranks.
… 
The restructuring is widely seen as a defensive move by Putin, stemming in large part from Rosgvardia's poor showing during the Wagner Group's armed rebellion in June 2023, when the national guard "failed to engage Wagner forces during the Wagner mutiny." (Express : 13 February 2026) (my emphasis) 

And to save himself from his accelerating implosion in the US, Trump's "glove puppets", JD Vane and Marco Rubio, are shielding him against the "fallout" from the Epstein files in the US, before the mid-term elections.

Like Putin, Trump is clutching at straws to save himself.

  

 (to be continued)

Putin and Trump's accelerating power-meltdown.

The sheer and utter desperation of Putin as he loses his war with Ukraine is best illustrated by,

"South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held talks on Tuesday with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on returning South Africans lured into fighting for Russian forces in Ukraine, his office said." (Jacaranda fm: 11 February 2026) (my emphasis)

 Furthermore,

"The daughter of South African former president Jacob Zuma is among several accused of recruiting men to join Russian mercenaries in the Ukraine war." (ibid Jacaranda fm)

Let us recall that in 2016, just two years before Putin's illegal invasion of, and annexation of, Ukraine's Crimea

"Meanwhile, one of Putin's closest allies in Africa, President Zuma (right: with Putin) of South Africa, who signed a controversial and secretive deal with Putin  for Russia's Rosatom to build nuclear reactors in South Africa, has been found guilty of breaking the South African constitution to embelish his private estate at Nkandla to the tune of £13 million stolen from state coffers. This theft elicited from him a public apology but, like Putin the 'kleptocrat', he simply ignored demands for his resignation.(blog entry: 3 April 2016) 

And we now learn that,

"Kenya on Tuesday condemned as "unacceptable" recruiters luring Kenyans to Russia with promises of lucrative jobs, only to send them to Ukraine's front lines as "cannon fodder".
… 
[Kenyan] Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi (right) announced he would travel to Moscow for talks aimed at "conclusively resolving the matter and identifying sustainable solutions". (France 24:  10 February 2026) (my emphasis)

This follows on the heels  of,

"Japan is set to join the NATO-led program to fund the purchase of weapons from the U.S. to support Ukraine, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported on Feb. 10, citing unnamed NATO officials. 
… 
Signed by the U.S. and NATO in July, the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) agreement lays out a mechanism for NATO member states and partners to purchase high-priority equipment for Ukraine." (Kyiv Independent: 10 February 2026) (my emphasis)

Added to which, as David Hambling (right) reports, 

"The Russian invasion force is in disarray following the deactivation of its Starlink satellite communications. Meanwhile Ukrainians are rushing to get their terminals whitelisted to maintain the service." (Forbes: 6 February 2026) (my emphasis)

 

France 24 English: 6 February 2026: YouTube 

These developments are occuring as Putin "manically" continues raining bombs upon the people of Ukraine.

 

BBC News: 7 February 2026: YouTube 

As reported by Claire Keenan (left),

"A Russian strike has killed at least four people, including three young children, in a town west of Kharkiv, a Ukrainian official says.
…
A 35-year-old pregnant woman and another woman, 76, were injured in the strike on Bohodukhiv, Synegubov said" (BBC News: 11 February 2026) (my emphasis) 

Whilst Putin constantly and simply ignores Trump's "self-serving" calls about "ceasefires" in Ukraine between Putin and Zelensky, Christopher Miller (right) reported that,

"Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the US is urging Ukraine and Russia to end their war before the start of summer, reflecting growing pressure in Washington for a negotiated settlement as midterm elections approach." (Financial times: 7 February 2026) (my emphasis)

Christopher Miller went on to report that,

"Zelenskyy hinted that Trump’s political considerations [of the impending November mid-term elections in the US] were shaping his administration’s approach to peace talks.

“Elections are definitely more important for them. Let’s not be naive,” he said. “They say that they want to do everything by June . . . so that the war ends. And they want a clear schedule.”

More significantly,

"For the first time, the Ukrainian leader also shed light on parallel bilateral talks between the US and Russia, which Kyiv was not part of. He said his intelligence officials briefed him on discussions in which Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian special envoy, was promoting development and co-operation deals worth as much as $12tn." (ibid  Christopher Miller)

It is therefore no wonder that, as Konstantin Samoilov (left) reports,

"In modern Russia, culture needs permission to be distributed. 

It means this. They don't have to ban movies, books, or songs. They just make it impossible to show. No scandal ... Just one simple solution, "Doesn't meet States narrative".

Today I will show you how 'traditional values' became Russia's smartest censorship machine." (cf. video below: Inside Russia:  10 February 2026) (my emphasis)

 

Inside Russia:  10 February 2026 

Trump's desperation to stave off being impeached by trying to divert the eyes of Americans away from the Epstein files that threatens his total power-meltdown in the US, mirrrors Putin's desperation to not only cling to life, but to also try and stave off his power-meltdown in Russia. 

  

 (to be continued)