A leading political opponent of Vladimir Putin has warned a war between NATO and Russia is inevitable.
Exiled opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky said World War 3 will be needed to stop the Russian autocrat.
Khodorkovsky, who used to be Russia's richest man, explained: "The NATO countries and the Western Europe will have to fight for real."
This terrifying warning comes as Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky called on the UK government to provide airpower in a speech in London on Wednesday.
Khodorkovsky, who was jailed by Putin for a decade before fleeing to Britain, told Khodorkovsky Live "the first year of the war was just a try out" and that "everything is beginning just now".
He warned Putin can only maintain stability "in the conditions of the continuation of the war".
Khodorkovsky was Russia's wealthiest man, worth an estimated $15billion, before falling foul of Putin.
After the collapse of the USSR he snapped up several oil fields as all the public wealth was privatised.
Following Zelensky's latest speech, the Russian Embassy in London was quick to respond, issuing a statement warning the British government that a decision to provide the warplanes would be "on London's conscience" because of the "bloodshed, next round of escalation, and subsequent military and political ramifications for the European continent and the entire globe".
The UK has not yet committed to providing the fighter jets to Ukraine, but on Wednesday Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted that "nothing was off the table" in his discussions with Zelensky.
Speaking during a joint press conference with the Ukrainian president, Mr Sunak said sending warplanes was “part of the conversation” between the pair.
Earlier in the day, Zelensky presented the speaker of the House of Commons with a helmet from the Ukrainian air force inscribed by a pilot with the words: "We have freedom. Give us wings to protect it."
He told peers and MPs in Westminster Hall: “I appeal to you and the world with simple and yet most important words: combat aircraft for Ukraine, wings for freedom.”
Downing Street confirmed the Prime Minister had asked Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to investigate what jets the UK could potentially give to Ukraine in its struggle against invading Russian forces.
Mr Zelensky said that without jets, there was a risk of “stagnation” in the conflict with Russia.
Boris Johnson, who was prime minister at the outbreak of the conflict and a close ally of Mr Zelensky, urged the UK to give Ukraine the “tools to finish the job” of defeating the Kremlin’s troops.
