Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Monday that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO would mean the world is one step away from World War Three.
He added that no one would want such a scenario, Reuters reported.
Putin has often warned of the dangers of nuclear war, but says he has never felt the need to use them in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron last month said he could not rule out the deployment of ground troops to Ukraine in the future.
At this statement of Macron and on the question of Reuters about the risks and the possibility of a conflict between Russia and NATO, Putin scoffed, saying: "Everything is possible in the modern world."
"It's clear to everyone that this will be one step away from full-scale World War III. I think hardly anyone is interested in that," Putin said.
