Shafaq News/ Russian President describes the "West" as "Empire of Lies" as he discussed with officials the economic situation after the imposition of sanctions against Moscow, the Kremlin said.

"Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and I discussed this topic (the economy and sanctions), naturally bearing in mind the sanctions that the so-called Western community - as I called it in my speech, the 'empire of lies' - is now trying to implement against our country," Vladimir Putin said.

Yesterday, Putin ordered Russian nuclear forces placed on enhanced combat duty -- the highest level of readiness. The defense minister confirmed that'd been put in place.

According to Sputnik Agency, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has informed President Putin that Russia's ground, air, and submarine-based nuclear deterrent forces have begun standby alert duty with reinforced personnel.

Putin asked Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov to put the Russian armed forces' strategic deterrent on "special combat duty mode" on Sunday. The president ordered the heightened alert status to be implemented after alleging that "top officials of leading NATO nations" had indulged "in making aggressive statements about our country," on top of and separately from the sanctions slapped on Moscow by Washington and its allies.

Putin did not specify who these "top officials were" or specific "aggressive" remarks he was referring to. Still, just hours before his comments, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss declared in an interview with Sky News that unless Russia's ongoing military operation in Ukraine to demilitarize the country was "stopped," the crisis could "end up in a conflict with NATO."

Tensions between Russia and the West have jumped to levels unseen since the Cold War in recent days over the military operation begun by Moscow late last week.

The US and its allies have responded to the crisis by ramping up military assistance to Ukraine, heavily sanctioning Russian government officials, banks, and business people.