Two weeks ahead of the presidential election, the Russian leader says his troops won’t back down in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly, in Moscow [Evgenia Novozhenina/

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of a “real” risk of nuclear war if the Western countries sent troops to fight in Ukraine during an annual address to the nation two weeks ahead of the presidential election.

“There has been talk about the possibility of sending NATO military contingents to Ukraine. But we remember the fate of those who once sent their contingents to our country’s territory. But now the consequences for possible interventionists will be far more tragic,” Putin said addressing parliament and other senior elites.

Aljazeera