Vladimir Putin officially began his fifth term as Russia's leader today in a ceremony filled with pomp and circumstance. Putin alleges he was reelected in a March contest, but Western nations have dismissed the so-called election as a sham.
The inauguration marks the beginning of six more years in office for the authoritarian Putin after he destroyed his political opponents and launched a devastating war in Ukraine.
In the latest angry outburst from Russia, the regime is warning it might widen that war in Europe. Russia is threatening to attack British military facilities in Europe and it's planning military drills simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the nuclear drills can be attributed to "provocative statements and threats of certain Western officials regarding the Russian Federation."
The Kremlin summoned both the British and French ambassadors Monday after comments by Britain's foreign minister that Kyiv could use British-made weapons to attack Russian soil. And French President Emmanuel Macron has said that sending troops to Ukraine is an option under consideration.
Just days ago the U.S. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines testified before Congress saying Putin sees U.S. and European support for Ukraine as a direct threat to Russia.
"Putin's strategic goals also remain unchanged. He continues to see NATO enlargement and Western support to Ukraine as reinforcing his long held belief that the United States and Europe seek to restrict Russian power," she explained.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian counterintelligence investigators say they have foiled a Russian plot to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A statement from Ukraine's state security service says two colonels were detained on suspicion of enacting the plan drawn up by Russia's Federal Security Service.
As international tensions rise, now comes word that Russia has arrested a U.S. service member.
U.S. Staff Sergeant Gordon Black was scheduled to travel to Texas from South Korea. Instead, he decided to go to Russia and visit his girlfriend.
U.S. officials say he was arrested last week in the city of Vladivostok. He's charged with criminal misconduct.
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