Putin on path to revive Cuban Missile Crisis in ‘next 8 weeks’

Vladimir Putin is five percent likely to plunge the world into a nuclear crisis of the proportions of the Cuban missile crisis within eight weeks, the president of the political risk consultancy firm Eurasia said in a dire warning of Russia’s war strategy. With the west’s sanctions dealing a severe blow to Russia’s economy and capacity to export manufactured goods, the White House has raised the threat of a potential Russian nuclear response to 20 percent. Eurasia’s President Ian Bremmer fears Russia’s economic and political isolation coupled with losses in Ukraine could corner Putin into deploying nuclear weapons.In the same way, Iran has been isolated economically with the West’s economic sanctions, and Russia is experiencing the same fate. Drawing a comparison between the two states, Ian Bremmer warns that nuclear-armed Russia represents a constant threat to Europe and the United States.Speaking at his firm’s headquarters in New York, Eurasia’s President said: “Because if you think about what Iran means for the Middle East, they’re a rogue state with ballistic missile attacks, drone strikes, espionage, proxy wars, radicalism, terrorist violence, you name it. “If Russia is that for NATO with 6,000 nuclear warheads, that really does not bode well for the next five or ten years, or for our kids. It really doesn’t. “I think, yes, there’s a real possibility of a Cuban Missile Crisis in the next eight weeks.” Ian Bremmer warned there’s a ‘possibility’ that Putin will deploy nuclear weapon (Image: GETTY TWITTER/@gzeromedia) Iran Bremmer is president of the political risk consultancy firm Eurasia (Image: TWITTER/@gzeromedia)While Ian Bremmer estimates the likelihood at five percent, he said the White House gauges the threat of Russia using nuclear weapons is at 20 percent. He added: “Either way, those numbers are way too freaking high. But I also think there is this one, two, three, five-year danger that is massive and certainly is unprecedented post the [Berlin] Wall coming down in 1989. “And we yet don’t know how to manage that. While we’re trying to manage down the Cuban Missile Crisis risk with a lot of effort in the near term. “The medium term, I don’t see anyone yet doing anything on the medium term.”READ MORE: Putin’s warned Russian soldiers tipped to ‘stop following orders’ Bremmer told former Australian PM and Asia Society President and CEO Kevin Rudd at the Asia Society’ (Image: TWITTER/@gzeromedia) Russia reportedly has 6,000 nuclear warheads (Image: EXPRESS)According to a joint analysis by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Russia’s GDP is expected to drop by at least 5.5 percent in the best scenario to almost 9 percent in the worst scenario. The dire economic fallout makes Russia the only major country with lower projected growth than the UK next year.Given the sharp dip in Russia’s commercial and automobile exports, Ian Bremmer believes Russia’s contraction will be five times as high in the next few years.”This is an economy that is going to be cut off from the West the way Iran has. That’s not a five percent contraction – that’s a 40-50 percent contraction over the next five years.”DON’T MISS:Putin in ‘danger’ of being overthrown after Kherson retreat [REPORT]     ‘As Putin attacks Ukraine, Britain and our allies will not be silent’ [REPORT]     Russian soldier warns Putin ‘will lose Crimea’ after Kherson retreat [REPORT]      Ian Bremmer’s warning comes as Russian troops are fleeing the southern city of Kherson (Image: EXPRESS)”I don’t see anything good coming of that,” he warned. This is the first time the G20 countries, including Britain, are actively decoupling Russia’s economy from the West with a raft of economic sanctions designed to reduce the Kremlin’s war chest.Though the West is dealing a blow to the Kremlin’s finances, Ian Bremmer warned: “As much as I see a near-term likelihood of some level of stabilisation, I fear that the medium-term is incredibly dangerous.”And this is where we’re going to need to work with the Chinese and the Indian and the Turks and the Kazakhs and others that actually do still have direct engagement with Putin to see if there is a way to prevent them from massively escalating what is otherwise a downward spiral.”READ NEXT:Russia confirms withdrawal from ‘city of death’ – wounded abandonedBen Wallace warns against foreign withdrawal from KhersonPutin ‘tries and fails’ to test ‘doomsday’ nuclear torpedoHumiliated Putin terrified of being ‘assassinated’ after war retreatBelarus on brink as Ukraine volunteer fighters pose ‘biggest threat’