ONE wrong move in the Russia and Ukraine crisis could spark a nuclear war as Vladimir Putin is acting just like Hitler, Lord West has warned.
The much anticipated Russian invasion began in the early hours of this morning with Putin’s tanks and around 10,000 troops rolling into Ukraine.
With a huge 200,000 strong force ringing Ukraine, the world is on a knife edge waiting for the Russian supremo’s next move, which could see the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
And in a chilling warning, Lord West, former chief of the Royal Navy, said one “miscalculation” could spark a war in Europe – which could spiral into a world war involving the use of nuclear weapons.
The 73-year-old told The Sun Online: “This is extremely dangerous. The risk of a miscalculation could lead to a war in Europe which could then become a global conflict – and the use of nuclear weapons.
“There is no doubt Putin wants to control the Ukraine – if he can do that without too much pain, he will do it. And the threat won’t go away.
“If he is successful, he will be tempted to try and do something against one of the European countries.
“And that will inevitably lead to a war between Russia and Nato and inevitably lead to the use of nuclear weapons.”
Lord West also warned Putin is becoming more “unpredictable” – and increasingly behaving in the same way as Hitler once did.
He said: “Putin is going the way so many dictators are, becoming unpredictable and not acting in a rational manner, rather in the same way as Hitler.
Read our Russia – Ukraine live blog for the very latest updates
“Whilst he loves the idea of the Russia empire, he actually doesn’t really care about the Russians and a leader with his power is highly dangerous.
“Hitler created all sorts of the same excuses in the same way as Putin is.
“Putin wants to overturn the world order and go back to the Soviet Union – where he effectively controls them. He thinks all these countries should be in the thrall of Russia.”
Putin ordered the troops into the rebel areas under the guise of “peacekeepers” overnight – a claim quickly dismissed as “nonsense” by the United States.
Already the situation is being compared to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, when America and Russia were in a 13-day nuclear standoff.
General Sir Richard Sherriff, Britain’s former top Nato commander said Putin’s “invasion of a sovereign country could turn into a catastrophic war with warfare on a scale not seen in Europe since 1945”.
The White House said President Joe Biden will impose sanctions to prevent any US citizen doing business in the breakaway regions.
And the UK’s ambassador to the UN Dame Barbara Woodward said Russia has “brought us to the brink”, warning that the country’s actions “will have severe and far-reaching consequences”.
Fears are growing that Moscow is now poised to move beyond the rebel held pockets to snatch more territory from Ukraine.
It said recognition of independence for areas in east Ukraine extends to territory now held by Ukrainian forces.
And Russian MP Leonid Kalashnikov said his country would recognise the whole of Donetsk and Luhansk regions – rather than just the areas currently under rebel control.
The country’s deputy foreign minister Andrey Rudenko said it has the right to set up military bases in the two areas, as the Kremlin tightens its grip on them.
Cabinet Minister Sajid Javid said Moscow would be met with a full-blown conflict if it goes further than invading Ukraine and starts messing with Western nations.
Ashok Swain, professor of peace and conflict research at Sweden’s Uppsala University, said the world is now teetering on the “brink of a very hot Cold War”.
Professor Swain said Putin will focus on Ukraine and Belarus for now – but he warned the Russian leader will pounce on the Baltic countries if the West “flounders”.
He told The Sun Online: “A united West can only keep the ambition of Putin limited to these two countries in that region.
“But Putin will aim at others if the West flounders, particularly the Baltic countries.
“Putin also wants the central Asian countries under Russian influence completely, where he has the challenge from China.”
He added: “It is a serious crisis, not since World War Two, but at least since the end of the Cold War in Europe.
“This situation is quite precarious as the US is losing its dominance, and at the same time, China and Russia are gaining more and more economical, military, and political strength.
“The New Cold War that is in the making will be more complex and challenging for the West to gain the upper hand.
“I don’t see a World War Three happening soon. But, the world is on the brink of a very hot Cold War, in which hybrid warfare will be the new norm.”
