Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a human rights council meeting on December 7 that the threat of nuclear war is rising. Yet he insisted that his nation has not “gone mad” and would not use its nuclear weapons first. He said:

Such a threat is growing, it would be wrong to hide it. But we have not gone mad. We are aware of what nuclear weapons are. We aren’t about to run around the world brandishing this weapon like a razor.

Putin went on to boast that Russia has the most advanced and expansive nuclear arsenal of any nation, saying his weapons are “in a more modern form” than all others. “When a blow is struck at us,” he said, “we strike back.”

Two days later, Putin told reporters that Russia might consider formally adding to its military doctrine the possibility of a nuclear first strike for preventative purposes. “We’re thinking about this,” Putin said. “If we are talking about a disarming strike, perhaps we should think about using the approaches of our American partners.”

Kyiv-based analyst Taras Revunets told the Trumpet that this sort of rhetoric about nuclear weapons has become more frequent as Putin’s attempt to conquer Ukraine has faltered. “He loves to flash his hypersonic nukes, stressing Russia’s lead over nato in that department. It’s the only card Russia has left—we can nuke this and nuke that. Will he put his money where his mouth is? I don’t know.”

Putin also admitted during the televised meeting that Russia’s war on Ukraine, which he originally expected to win in a week but is now in its 10th month, could still be “a long process.”

Despite the expanding time frame, he said there would be “no sense” in mobilizing additional troops in the near future. Some analysts take this statement as a sign that Putin does plan to draft more soldiers soon, but that he aims to spring the order on Russians suddenly rather than giving advance notice. This could avoid a repetition of the exodus of Russian men from the nation that occurred in September and October after he announced plans to mobilize 300,000 reservists.

Whether or not Putin uses nuclear weapons or mobilizes more soldiers at this time, it is vital to watch Europe’s response to his increasing aggression and threats. Many Europeans—particularly in the eastern part of the Continent—have been shaken to the core by the war on Ukraine, and their fear is beginning to transform Europe.

In 2014, shortly after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry explained the primary significance of that move in the context of Bible prophecy:

We have been prophesying for around 70 years that Eastern Europe would become a vital part of a new European superpower—a resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. This prophecy is directly related to the Crimean crisis! The fear you see in Europe because of events in Crimea is going to cause 10 leaders in Europe to unite in a sudden and dramatic way—and in precise accordance with the Bible’s description of that European empire! … Europe’s new fear of Russia is going to play a major role in hastening the fulfillment of that prophecy!

Eight years on from that annexation, Europeans clearly see how calamitous it was and that it opened the door for the current full-scale war. The Europeans see Russia’s increasing violence and Putin’s nuclear posturing. And the fear that is now intensifying among them is prompting moves to unify Europe, politically and militarily. Within a unified and more militarized European bloc, they feel they have a far better chance to stand up to the rising Russian threat.

Mr. Flurry’s article says that prophecies recorded in Ezekiel 38, Daniel 2 and 8, and Revelation show that the trends underway in Russia, Europe and beyond are leading to a time of global destruction that “will cause more suffering than the world has ever known!”

But he adds that these developments ultimately point to overwhelmingly good news. For more information about these Bible prophecies and to understand what Mr. Flurry calls “the best news you could ever hear,” read his article “The Crimean Crisis Is Reshaping Europe!”