Putin’s threats come after Friday’s Moscow concert hall terror attack that he is linking to Kyiv despite no evidence.

“I think the climate has not changed compared to what has happened to date,” she said.

“We have to continue to do our job, which is the deterrence capacity that Europe, the West, has been able to put in place.

“It is actually the best guarantee that there will be no escalation.”

“If we had to be frightened by Putin’s statements we would have been frightened long ago”.

ANSA