Sergey Karaganov, a top official close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has warned that Russia would use nuclear weapons against Europe if it ever came close to losing a war. Karaganov is a former adviser to both Putin and Boris Yeltsin and currently leads Russia’s Council for Foreign and Defense Policy. During a recent interview, Karaganov dismissed the idea of a Russian defeat by Europe as a “fantastic illusion.” He blamed the discussion of such an outcome on the “intellectual incapacity” of European leaders. According to Mediaite, Karaganov made his threat clear when he said, “If Russia comes ever close to a defeat, that would mean that Russia now would use nuclear weapons and Europe would be finished physically.” He suggested European leaders don’t understand how serious the situation is and only talk about war “to rationalize their stay in power, to rationalize their existence.” Karaganov claims Europe has lost its standing on the world stage Karaganov was highly critical of modern Europe, saying the continent used to be a major center of world power but is now seen as a joke. He stated, “Everybody in the world now laughs at Europe.” He did clarify he wasn’t talking about all Europeans, acknowledging there are “decent Europeans” and “smart Europeans,” but his view of the leadership was harsh. When asked if European leaders truly understand the nuclear threat, Karaganov said the continent’s leaders have been “intellectually degrading” for decades. He pointed to the “1968 so-called student revolution, which killed most of European education,” and modern “anti-meritocracy” as reasons for this decline. This comes as Putin sent a chilling message to Europe about who would be left to negotiate with. Russia Will Nuke Germany & the UK if Ukraine War Continues, Warns Top Putin AdvisorUK has been sabotaging that war since old Boris.Russia sends terrifying nuclear WW3 threat to UK – ‘You will be finished’Sergey Karaganov, head of Russia’s Council for Foreign and Defense… pic.twitter.com/nSMinQH0TB— Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil (@ivan_8848) January 15, 2026 Because of this decline, Karaganov believes leaders are “unable to understand what is happening fully.” He said they’ve forgotten about the real horror of war and think conflict will never reach their countries. He claimed one of Russia’s current goals is to “bring them to their senses, hopefully without using nuclear weapons.” Karaganov also criticized his own government for being too cautious. He told the interviewer he is “criticizing my government for being too prudent and too patient with them.” This suggests some powerful people in Russia want quicker and harsher action against European nations supporting Ukraine. Meanwhile, Putin threatened to continue the Russian offense despite calls for peace talks. He ended his warning by saying if European nations “continue to support this war, sacrificing numerous of the Ukrainians and others,” Russia will eventually “have to punish them severely. Hopefully in a limited sense.” This message makes it clear that the Russian leadership sees continued support for Ukraine as a direct threat that demands a severe response, possibly with nuclear weapons.