Politico reported the following;

Putin’s bluffing on nukes (for now), says top NATO official
March 1, 2024
NATO’s No. 2 official said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threat is currently just “psychological intimidation.”
Putin issued the warning Thursday as French President Emmanuel Macron stood by his message that the West could not rule out sending troops to help Ukraine fend off Putin’s full-scale invasion. “This really threatens a conflict with nuclear weapons,” Putin said.
NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană characterized Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling as “a discourse that delves into the logic of psychological intimidation rather than real intentions,” in an interview with Spanish newspaper El País published Friday.
He added, “We do not see any imminent threat of Russia using these weapons. But these statements are in themselves very dangerous, because they erode trust. Russia knows the consequences of taking such a step.” https://www.politico.eu/article/putins-bluffing-on-nukes-says-top-nato-official/

I do not believe that Vladimir Putin is simply bluffing.

He is telling the world that Russia has no intention to leave all of Ukraine, that no matter what NATO does, Russia will not give up certain territory that was once part of Ukraine. And finally, that yes if needed, Russia may deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine or elsewhere.

Notice also the following:

1 March 2024
President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use nuclear weapons if Western powers send soldiers to within striking distance of Russia.
His comments on Thursday, in a state of the nation address, were the kind of remarks usually uttered by Dmitry Medvedev, a Putin ally who served as Russia’s president from 2008-2012 and prime minister until becoming a top security official in 2020.
Throughout the conflict in Ukraine, Medvedev has warned of nuclear action and penned countless social media posts showering Western leaders and nations with slurs and threats.
“Medvedev used to write posts about the riders of the apocalypse in the style of [US filmmaker Quentin] Tarantino, and Putin brought his threats back to the limits of sanity,” Kyiv-based analyst Aleksey Kushch told Al Jazeera.
Putin has now upped the ante, responding to French President Emmanuel Macron’s assumption on Monday that a deployment of European troops to Ukraine cannot be “ruled out”. …
The West has “announced the possibility of sending Western military contingents to Ukraine,” Putin said on Thursday. “The consequences for possible interventionists will be way more tragic.
“They should eventually realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. Everything that the West comes up with creates the real threat of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and thus the destruction of civilisation,” he said.
Moscow has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal including a new generation of hypersonic missiles and several times more tactical nuclear weapons than the collective West.
“Now it is Putin who clearly draws a red line about using the nukes,” Kushch said, adding that Macron had probed Putin’s reaction on when Moscow would be ready to launch the nukes. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/1/how-real-is-putins-threat-to-nuke-the-west

Yes, after France proposed sending in European troops to Ukraine, Vladimir Putin made it clear that was not acceptable.

When he tried to made it clear when the West rebuffed his objections to Ukraine ever joining NATO, some thought he was bluffing then as well. Instead, he began what he called Russia’s ‘Special Military Operation’ into Ukraine just over two years ago.

Many in the West have wondered about WWIII starting. The increased rhetoric about nuclear weapons has gotten more to wonder.

Even Russia brought World War 3 up this week:

Russia warns WWIII “inevitable” if West sends troops to Ukraine
February 27, 2024
The Kremlin warned that WWIII would become “inevitable” if Western countries sent troops to fight in Ukraine, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on February 27.
“In that case, it’s not going to be about probability, but inevitability – that’s how we assess it,” he said, TASS quoted Peskov as saying, answering a journalist’s question on how the Kremlin assesses the probability of a direct conflict between Nato and Russia if Western troops were sent to Ukraine.
Peskov warned that Nato countries “should also assess” the consequences of such actions and be aware of them. They should “ask themselves whether this corresponds to their interests, and most importantly, to the interests of the citizens of their countries,” Peskov said TASS reported.
Peskov was responding to comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron during an EU summit on Ukraine in Paris on February 27. …
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said from the start of the conflict that Nato’s first goal was to prevent WWIII and it would not become directly engaged in the war in Ukraine, adding there is a danger that the war will spill over into Western Europe. https://www.intellinews.com/russia-warns-wwiii-inevitable-if-west-sends-troops-to-ukraine-314306/

So, no, NATO is not currently intending to send troops into Ukraine to fight Russia.

Jesus warned of “wars and rumors of war” (Matthew 24:6). That is consistent with what we have been seeing between Russia, Ukraine, and the West.

Since 2013, I have been posting that the situation in Ukraine would change and that at least part of that territory would end up supporting Russia. That happened with Crimea in 2014 and has happened with at least two republics in the Donbas.

Russia is angry at the USA and others for sanctions as well as for sending arms to Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin is now making it clear that the West risks nuclear weapon attacks if it supplies a lot of troops in Ukraine (the West already has “advisors” and other military people in Ukraine).

Various ones fear the possibility of World War III with Russia.

Yet, Russia and the USA are not about to get into a war to try to militarily destroy each other because of Ukraine. There could be more sanctions, cyber matters, and skirmishes, but no, not a battle over Ukraine with each nation aggressively trying to destroy the other with their respective nuclear arsenals. The USA and Russia possess enough weapons of mass destruction that they could, in theory, destroy the whole world if they got in a large enough battle.

Despite the view of various Protestant prophecy watchers, the USA is not prophesied to be destroyed by Russia.

However, I do feel that Russia will one day make a deal with Europe and will assist the coming Beast power, who will destroy the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39).

Below is something that the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, wrote decades ago, during the time of the old Soviet Union, in an article titled Why Russia Will Not Attack the United States:

For decades now, the prospect of war between Russia and the United States has continually heightened and lessened.
Many who claim to be authorities on prophecy assure people a war involving Russia and the United States, Canada and England is prophesied in Ezekiel 38.
The United States, Britain and other democracies of north-western Europe, they recognize, are nations descended from the lost Ten Tribes. Therefore, they conclude, the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 foretells a military invasion of the North American continent from the Soviet Union. But this is not what prophecy says…
But this very fact – that this invasion will not come until after the Second Coming of Christ – will seem preposterous to many, at first thought.
That is because we have been accustomed merely to assume things that are not true. We have blindly assumed that when Christ comes, there will be no opposition. Every person and power on earth, we have thought, will simply submit meekly and instantly to him and his power. But that is not true!
Some gentile nations understandably shall not submit until forced to. The final restoration of the Roman Empire shall be subdued and conquered at a battle commonly called “Armageddon.” But the populous nations of Eurasia that the Almighty God up to this point has not dealt with shall still have to be brought to submission.
“Gog” Identified“Gog in the land of “Magog” is the vast regions of the U.S.S.R. in northern Eurasia extending from the Baltic to the Pacific. “Meshech” is Moscow, “Tubal” is Tobol’sk.
Notice the allies who come with them in this future battle. You will find “Gomer” “Togarmah,” “Magog,” “Meshech” “Tubal” identified in Genesis 10 as the sons of Japheth, father of the Eurasians. Ethiopia and Phut (mistranslated Libya) are descended from Ham.
Therefore, this prophecy of Ezekiel 38 shows who shall finally succeed in marshaling peoples of each major race into a gigantic invasion upon our people.
When God begins to rule the world, through Christ – with His chosen people restored to prosperity in the land of Israel, the very center of the land surface of the earth (verse 12, Moffatt translation) – this, great Eurasian union of nations shall finally be tempted to use their mighty air force. (Armstrong HW. Why Russia Will Not Attack the United States, article).
Some Bible scholars assert falsely that these prophecies of Ezekiel were fulfilled anciently. They never were. Others believe they are about to occur but some years before Armageddon. Both views are erroneous. The events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 are without question still future – for the “latter days” (38: 16) and “latter years” (38:8). Moreover, Ezekiel 38:14 describes the time setting as being “in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely.” This is certainly not the situation in the State of Israel to- day! The Israel described by Ezekiel is a nation that dwells in security, in unwalled villages, totally unprepared for war (38:8, 11, 14). Read it for yourself! (Why Russia Will Not Attack the United States. WCG booklet)

Ezekiel 38 is for the distant future–after the millennium (cf. Revelation 20:7-9; see also Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day?; a related video is also available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?).

Yet, none of this means that there cannot be military conflict between the USA and Russia now (and there may be some).

Furthermore, what Russia is doing is leading to WWIII, but just in a way many have not realized.

Over 44 years ago, the Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, the late Herbert W. Armstrong, wrote:

What Russia is doing will be the spark to bring the heads of nations in Europe together with the Vatican to form a “United Nations of Europe.” The politicians cannot do this by themselves. Only with the collaboration of the Pope can they do it.
Russia will move slowly—but will keep moving! Other nations and events will move FASTER! (Armstrong HW. Co-worker Letter, January 23, 1980)

Russia has been planning to make moves related to Ukraine for years.

Notice something I posted here on March 17, 2022:

What has been happening in Ukraine has been a wake-up call for the Europeans.
What will happen?
Europe will spend more on its military (cf. Revelation 13:3-4), put together a great army (Daniel 11:25), and end up with many ships (Daniel 11:40). (Thiel B. Reuters: Russia warns United States: we have the might to put you in your place. COGwriter, March 17, 2024)

And that has been happening.

The Bible, Revelation 13, tells of the Beast power having seven heads and ten horns:

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. (Revelation 13:1-2)

The sea that this is referring to is the Mediterranean sea as passages in the Old Testament demonstrate (Daniel 7:2-3; Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; 9:1; 23:4; Ezekiel 47:13-16; watch also Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?).

The Beast power to come will be European.

This arming by the Europeans, which is not in progress, will lead to WWIII!

This will be the end of the USA and its British-descended allies consistent with Daniel 11:39.

Though Europe will triumph for a time (Revelation 13:3-4; Daniel 11:39-43), prophecies also show matters will not end well for Europe itself (cf. Daniel 11:44-45; Revelation 17:14)–and Russia will be involved (watch also Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy).

The old Worldwide Church of God published the following about the fate of a coming European power:

This European power will eventually establish its capital and religious headquarters at Jerusalem (Dan. 11 :45) Daniel says that this European conqueror will become troubled by “tidings out of the east and out of the north” (11 :44) . There can be little doubt about the source of the beast‘s trouble. East and north of Palestine are Russia, China and other nations of the vast Asian con-continent. (Why Russia Will Not Attack the United States. WCG booklet)

Although there is not about to be a massive nuclear war between Russia on the USA, Europe one day, is prophesied to be destroyed by a Russian-led force:

8 “Move from the midst of Babylon,
Go out of the land of the Chaldeans;
And be like the rams before the flocks.
9 For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon
An assembly of great nations from the north country,
And they shall array themselves against her;
From there she shall be captured.
Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior;
None shall return in vain. (Jeremiah 50:8-9)

Lasting safety is not to be found in military alliances, but in God:

3 Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
4 His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day his plans perish.
5 Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
7 Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners. (Psalms 146:3-7)

In this time of wars and rumors of war, put your total trust in God.

Jesus said:

36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:36)

He also said to pray for God’s Kingdom to come.

Remember to regularly do so.

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