Russia and NATO have never gotten along, and that has been proven a multitude of times over the years. However, with NATO moving closer and closer to Russia’s borders, with countries like Sweden and Ukraine being in the discussion of joining the alliance, Putin is growing more and more agitated. The countries that are apart of NATO are amongst the strongest in the world, and if Ukraine was to join NATO, Russia would not be able to continue its attack on Ukraine without facing more severe consequences.

More recently, Ukraine and Sweden both want new sanctions on Russia after Navalny’s passing. Navalny was a vocal Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and political prisoner. On February 16, 2024, Navalny passed away while in the possession of a Russian prison. Details about his death remain unclear; however, authorities at the prison claim he suffered “sudden death syndrome”. Although the cause of death remains a question, many people’s worries regarding Putin are increasing.

Putin recently went and was interviewed by Tucker Carlson, a former Fox News host. This was his first interview with Western media since his attack on Ukraine in February 2022. Within that interview, Putin began to discuss the possibility of World War 3 within the next couple of years. He threatened and said he is not hesitant to be the catalyst of the next World War, and he blames the Western powers for triggering it with their spread of NATO. Later on in the interview, Putin tells Carlson that the way to end this war and conflict is for the US to stop supplying weapons to the Ukrainian military. This only further highlights Putin’s fear of Western influence within the East and how that would disrupt his own agenda.

Overall, tensions are high right now, and other conflicts taking place in the world and opposition between the two big nations- the United States and Russia- are only creating more friction.

Sources: – Putin tells Tucker Carlson the US ‘needs to stop supplying weapons’ to Ukraine | Vladimir Putin | The Guardian – Tucker Carlson exposed Putin’s true war motive: for Russia to own Ukraine – The Washington Post – Putin warns of WW3, brags about ‘unstoppable’ weapons, & blames BORIS for Ukraine in rambling Tucker Carlson interview – The Sun | The Sun