Vladimir Putin has made a direct threat to nuke the West as he accused NATO and the US of 'preparing to strike' Russia in his annual address to the nation. The Russian president, 71, said: 'They, NATO and America, are active in other parts of the world, of course, and they continue to lie there, to deceive. 'They are preparing to strike our territory and, using the best possible forces, the most effective forces to do so.