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Vladimir Putin has provoked fresh fears of nuclear war as experts claim he could launch a "huge escalation" of the Ukraine war ahead of upcoming Russian presidential elections.
The despot is thought to be planning to run in next year's race for power despite controversy surrounding his reign and a swathe of reports his health is in decline or even that he is dead. If victorious, Putin would remain President until at least 2030.
The dictator has been in office continuously since 2012 following two previous consecutive terms running from 2000 until 2008. If reports of his upcoming campaign turn out to be true, the March 2024 elections are likely to be a formality allowing him to continue his reign virtually unopposed.
READ MORE: Putin 'body double' plot thickens as Kremlin aide jokes there could be four impersonators
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But despite the almost sure-fire win if he runs again, experts have said Putin is more determined than ever not to "leave the war undone" in Ukraine as voting day approaches. Dr Stephen Hall, an expert on Russia at the Henry Jackson Society told The Sun Putin's next term could usher in "an escalation in the aggression against Ukraine and the West."
"There is a possibility that he would use a small nuclear weapon that would take out a block out of Kyiv or Kharkiv," Dr Hall warned. "There is a potential that Putin would want to invade other countries.
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'Ukraine is corrupt and is selling European weapons to the Taliban,' Putin claims
"He would like to weaken the West. Putin will certainly look for ways to try and destabilise the West," he added, predicting the warmonger could seek to invade countries such as Kazakhstan, Moldova or Georgia next.
Professor Vladislav Zubok from the London School of Economics also warned experts didn't believe Putin's war would be escalated in a "conventional way" and warned he could use drastic measures such as nuclear weapons as a show of strength. He warned the use of the destructive bombs would lead to the "end of the world we know."
The allegations come following outlandish claims the tyrant, 71, may already be dead after sources claimed he was suffering from a number of health conditions including cancer or Parkinson's. A Kremlin source claimed last month the despot had died from a heart attack, the Daily Star previously reported.
But with his inner circle apparently keen to keep up appearances a body double has reportedly been used in Putin's place. Sources even claimed the doppelganger had developed Covid since taking over from the allegedly deceased dictator, sparking concerns for Putin's political allies.
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- Vladimir Putin
- Military
- Russia
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