Vladimir Putin sent warning by Keir Starmer when asked if Brits should prepare for nuclear war

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said helium volition not backmost down aft being pressed connected whether Brits should commencement preparing for atomic warfare arsenic tensions with Vladimir Putin rise

Keir Starmer has lashed retired astatine "irresponsible rhetoric" from Russia erstwhile asked if Brits should hole for atomic war.

The PM said helium volition not backmost down successful the look of Vladimir Putin's threats. Speaking astatine a property league astatine the G20 acme successful Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mr Starmer said: "There's irresponsible rhetoric coming from Russia and that is not going to deter our enactment for Ukraine."

He called connected the warmonger Russian President to backmost down arsenic tensions emergence implicit Ukraine's usage of long-range weapons. Mr Starmer faces calls to springiness Volodymyr Zelensky the greenish airy to usage British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, which person a scope of astir 200 miles.

Putin has not been contiguous astatine the acme arsenic helium could look apprehension aft an International Criminal Court warrant was issued. Mr Starmer described him arsenic "the writer of his ain exile".

He said: "For the 3rd twelvemonth moving Putin did not be this summit. He is the writer of his ain connected exile, and connected time 1,000 of Russia's amerciable warfare successful Ukraine I accidental it again, get retired of Ukraine."

He said helium has been arguing with satellite leaders calling for them to "double down" connected enactment for Ukraine. He said: "We person stood with Ukraine from the commencement and I've been doubling down successful my wide connection that we request to guarantee that Ukraine has what is needed for arsenic agelong arsenic it's needed to triumph this warfare against Putin."

It comes aft Vladimir Putin promised to retaliate if Western long-range missiles were fired into Russian territory. The Kremlin is reported to person adopted a caller atomic doctrine giving it greater powers to usage the weapons successful effect to attacks.

The summit, which brings unneurotic the leaders of the world's biggest economies, has been dominated by discussions astir UK-supplied missiles. Mr Starmer has repeatedly refused to accidental whether helium volition assistance President Volodymyr Zelensky's pleas to beryllium capable to occurrence Storm Shadow warheads into Russian-controlled areas.

Earlier the PM said lasting up to Russia is "about our mode of life" arsenic helium called connected Putin to backmost down connected his atomic warfare threats. Asked however comfy helium is that Brits could beryllium enactment astatine risk, Mr Starmer told Sky News: "Well, it's precise important that we're steadfast successful our enactment for Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor and Russia has to beryllium the 1 that makes the determination to halt this war, but we indispensable enactment Ukraine. It's impacting not conscionable Ukraine. It's impacting the remainder of the world, including the UK."

And speaking connected the 1,000th time since Putin's penetration helium said: "This is simply a 1000 days of struggle and determination is simply a precise precocious outgo if Russian aggression is seen to wage off. A outgo that we volition each pay, due to the fact that this is not conscionable astir sovereignty successful Ukraine, it's astir our freedoms.

"It's astir our mode of beingness and it impacts everybody crossed the United Kingdom. But, you know, we are moving of people with allies to marque definite Ukraine is successful the champion imaginable position."