Standing before decorated officers on Russia’s Defender of the Fatherland Day, Vladimir Putin delivered a message clearly aimed beyond Moscow: Russia is accelerating its nuclear ambitions.

Calling the modernization of Russia’s nuclear triad an “absolute priority,” Putin said strengthening nuclear forces is essential to national security and global “strategic deterrence.” He pledged to fast-track advanced weapons systems and raise the combat readiness of Russia’s army and navy — lessons, he claimed, drawn directly from the war in Ukraine.

The remarks come amid heightened global concern following Russia’s suspension of its participation in New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Russia and the United States. With formal limits on deployed nuclear weapons now effectively frozen, analysts warn the risk of a renewed arms race is growing.

In Kyiv, the response was blunt and urgent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Putin effectively triggered “World War III” the moment he launched the invasion four years ago. He warned that Russia’s ambitions will not end with Ukraine if the international community allows Moscow time to regroup.

“Putin will not stop at Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said, arguing that any territorial concessions would only give Russia space to rebuild its military and strike again.

As missiles continue to fall and nuclear rhetoric escalates, the conflict is no longer just about Ukraine’s borders. It has become a broader test of global resolve — and a reminder that the line between conventional war and catastrophic escalation may be thinner than the world wants to believe.