Vladimir Putin will be ousted from power and risks “civil war” in Russia if her attacks the US or UK, an expert tells the Daily Express.
The Russian President has made a number of threats to Western allies of Ukraine in recent weeks after the UK and US allowed Kyiv to strike Russian territory with their missiles.
Putin warned this week that Russia can now target the UK and US directly with its missiles.
He has also said that Russia has new missiles “ready to be used” after he launched a ballistic missile onto the Ukrainian city of Dnipro this week
But security expert Nicholas Drummond believes Putin can’t attack the UK or US because powerbrokers in Russia would move against Putin to try and prevent World War 3.
Mr Drummond said: “Putin has a very strong grip on power in Russia. He would be very difficult to remove.
“He is revered in Russia after that chaotic period of the Soviet Union. That is what gave him such a strong power base.
“But if he is seen to be doing something reckless, the kingmakers among the oligarchs could rise against him. There could be civil war in Russia.
“China will play a role too, because China does not want a world war. China has not committed any serious act of aggression in a long time.”
After his election victory in the US, President-elect Donald Trump will likely play a big role in the war come 2025.
Mr Trump has vowed to end the war quickly, but Mr Drummond says the UK is lobbying the US to ensure Putin is not granted a generous peace deal.
He added: “What’s important is Britain is likely to be lobbying the US not to give Putin a peace deal that ends the war on his terms.
“Putin is threatening us in the hope that we step back from lobbying the US, but we won’t.”
While Putin has suggested that the UK is now directly involved in the war, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK is not at war.
Sir Keir said: “Well, there’s irresponsible rhetoric. What I’m very clear about is this: Russia is the aggressor.
“This war could end today if Putin stopped being the aggressor. And it is not just a question of sovereignty in Ukraine, it’s a matter of our rights and our freedoms, this affects.”