The influential MP Tobias Ellwood has said NATO should stand firm and not allow Vladimir Putin the West to be “spooked” with continued nuclear threats and allow Ukraine to join the Alliance.

Last month Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a fast track form to join NATO and the deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Alexander Venediktov warned that, “Kyiv is well aware that such a step would mean a guaranteed escalation to World War Three.”

Putin said on Friday that if there is any clash with NATO this will immediately lead to a “global catastrophe” referring there will be a nuclear strike.

Putin added, He added: “I hope that those who are saying this are smart enough not to take such steps.”

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Ellwood said that the West should simply allow Ukraine to join NATO to “defeat Russia” and allow Kyiv to be included as a “diplomatic state.”

He said, “We are moving from the here and now of what we’re doing to support Ukraine defeat Russia, to then considering how can we make sure Russia doesn’t come back in the future.

“So it is a very pertinent question. If Ukraine is included as a democratic state, as part of Europe, under threat from another country, then absolutely yes, it’s something that we should be considering.

“Because it’s then about the long-term security that we can provide, and NATO does that just with a signing of a document.

“And I don’t believe we should be spooked by by Russia’s response.

“The more we do everything we can to further embarrass and isolate Putin, the more chance there is eventually of him being removed by his own people.”

Ellwood was asked what he believes is driving the Russian tyrant, he added, “I think he’s fed false information because put simply, the machine doesn’t work as it should do.

“So Putin is told what he wants to hear, that back in February the Ukrainian people were wanting to return back to the their Slavic roots and rejoin Russia, which firstly is a false interpretation of the history and secondly, doesn’t factor in the true position of the Ukrainians themselves.

“So strategic errors of judgement were made, there was poor leadership and the initial invasion, trying to take Kyiv, collapsed.

“Their second approach in trying to advance from the eastern flank has also failed.

“There has been this potent mix of courageous will to fight by the Ukrainians supported by Western competitors by weapons and ammunition.”