In the context of the conflict in Ukraine, Putin has warned of the risks of nuclear war, ironizing the possibility of a conflict between Russia and NATO.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of the risks of nuclear conflict over the situation in Ukraine. He also derided the possibility of conflict between Russia and NATO, saying that "everything is possible in the modern world". Putin rejected US and Western criticism of the Russian elections, saying the US elections were not democratic. It is reported that Ukrainians in territories occupied by the Russian army were forced to vote in the Russian presidential election under the supervision of masked soldiers.