VLADIMIR Putin is not America’s friend but his successor will be even more vicious towards the West, an expert has chillingly warned.

The Russian tyrant, who turns 70 today, has already claimed to have annexed four Ukrainian territories and continues to double down on nuclear threats as he tries to save his failing war.

US president Joe Biden on Thursday warned that the world is on the brink of a nuclear Armageddon for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

He claimed that “Mad Vlad” isn’t joking about using tactical nukes or biological and chemical weapons.

And as rumors continue to swirl about the Russian president’s supposedly deteriorating health, commentators have begun to speculate what a Russia and world post-Putin will look like.

Geopolitical expert Brandon J Weichert told The U.S. Sun that Putin isn’t America’s pal but warned that his successor is “going to be more vicious".

Political expert Taras Kuzio described the tyrant as more “paranoid and conspiratorial”.

Weichert said: “Elites in Washington think Putin is ‘Dr. Evil’, but some think he’s a clown and they don’t take his nuclear threat seriously.”

Putin chillingly warned that he was “not bluffing” when he said Russia was prepared to use a nuclear weapon.

Weichert fears that Moscow could launch an electromagnetic pulse attack (EMP) on the United States.

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The strike could involve a nuclear warhead being attached to an intercontinental ballistic missile before it’s detonated 50 miles above the Earth.

Weichert warned: “Putin and the Kremlin could say it was a test and accidental.”

He said the blast would knock out the power grid of the continental US but added that the effects could “filter down” impacting Canadians and Mexicans.

Weichert claimed: “The Continental United States would be completely sent back to the 1800s in just 10 minutes.”

And, the expert feared that it would take years for the US to recover from such an attack.

Weichert also suggested that nuclear warheads could even be “smuggled” into the country if one wasn't launched from Moscow.

'SENT BACK TO THE 1800S'

He speculated that spies could assemble and load the devices onto a private airplane under the auspices of a student learning to fly an aircraft.

He added: “It’s possible they could reach 30-40,000 feet in the air and detonate it over a state."

An attack could "take a sizable portion" of the US' power grid offline, rendering it to the point where it's "combat ineffective" to continue helping Ukraine, according to Weichert.

He said: “Putin is only thinking about doing this because of Ukraine.”

Weichert believes that Putin’s presidency has only six to eight months remaining amid the failing war effort.

He said that Putin has to be in a position where he can claim some sort of victory in the conflict despite knowing he can’t win “conventionally”.

Weichert said: “If Putin doesn’t have some kind of victory, he’ll lose his life.”

BLOODTHIRSTY TYRANT

The speculation about the bloodthirsty tyrant’s successor comes amid reports about his failing health.

Reports have long suggested that Putin is suffering from serious illnesses including abdominal cancer, early Parkinson’s disease, and a schizoaffective disorder.

Political scientist Valery Solovey claimed that his suspected medical conditions have affected his judgment.

Russian independent media outlet Proekt suggested Putin is permanently surrounded by top medics including cancer specialists when he goes on official visits. 

They are said to closely monitor him in public and behind the scenes. 

And, the former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove said Putin faces being sent to a sanatorium and will potentially be ousted in 2023 due to his medical issues.

Weichert warned that Putin’s successor will be a “more seasoned, vicious and popular autocrat” who would go “full bore” into a potential nuclear war.

Olga Lautman, a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington DC, previously told The Sun that Putin's adviser Sergey Glazyev has frequently discussed the idea of “nuking the whole West”.

And, Kremlin loyalist Nikolai Patrushev, who has also been touted as a potential successor, is vehemently anti-American.

He baselessly compared the Nord Stream pipelines rupture to the CIA-backed attacks on oil infrastructure in Nicaragua during the 1980s.

But, Weichert thinks Russia will face a “multisided” civil war between competing centers of power once Putin dies.

He explained that military leaders who are “scattered” throughout Russia could try and claim that they are legitimate leaders.

He warned that it may provide an opportunity for organized crime groups to try and exploit.

Weichert said: “They would try to jockey and gain power like a Game of Thrones situation where the strong king is gone and all the others are trying to use their influence to get to the number one spot."

If the Russian state collapses and a similar program doesn't exist, Weichert fears nukes could end up in the hands of terrorist groups.

In post-Putin Russia, military or intelligence leaders that have access to weapon systems may want to enhance their power or make money.

Weichert fears officials could use those missile systems as leverage.

They would be sold to the highest bidder and flogged potentially on the black market.

In the 1990s, western leaders feared nuclear weapons and WMDs could end up in the hands of authoritarian regimes following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Around 30,000 nukes were spread over four countries when the USSR collapsed.

And, at least 40,000 tons of chemical weapons were present, according to the Arms Control Center.

Amid Putin’s threats, The West is weighing up its options for how it could strike back.

Western nations could ramp up their sanctions, launch a full-scale attack or even pressure Ukraine to sue for peace with Moscow.

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