Vladimir Putin has issued what appeared to be a thinly veiled threat about the risk of nuclear war in disturbing remarks reported by state news agency RIA.

Meanwhile Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed Donald Trump is “trapped in a disinformation bubble” after the US President appeared to blame Ukraine for starting the war.

Putin said: “Everyone has probably forgotten, but I will remind you that exactly one year from now, in February 2026, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty will expire. Do representatives of Ukraine want to sit here at the negotiating table and be mediators between Russia and the United States? Well, probably not. Why the hysteria? Hysteria is inappropriate.”

The Ukrainian leader, delivering his first remarks after Mr Trump’s bombshell claim, said he is seeing “a lot of disinformation” from Russia.

Mr Zelensky said: “With all due respect to President Donald Trump as a leader…. he is living in this disinformation space.”

He also dismissed Mr Trump’s claims about his approval ratings being at 4% as Russian disinformation. He said attempts to replace him during the war against Russia would not work.

Ukraine’s leader said: “As we are talking about 4%, we have seen this disinformation, we understand it’s coming from Russia.”

The comments came after Mr Trump claimed on Tuesday Mr Zelensky had a 4% approval rating in Ukraine despite reports his rating is above 50%.

After Mr Zelensky’s response, Mr Trump issued another blistering attack on the Ukrainian President, in which the US leader falsely accused his counterpart in Kyiv of being a “dictator”. The US President’s outburst was widely condemned by British and European politicians, who rallied around the Ukrainian wartime leader.

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