Speaking in Moscow, he defended Russia's actions in Ukraine and claimed that the Russian economy had survived the worst of the sanctions imposed by the West.

He went on to accuse the former UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss of being a girl out of her mind to talk about the use of nuclear weapons.

Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg, reports from Moscow.

His war in Ukraine has not gone according to plan, but more than eight months in from Vladimir Putin, there were no regrets, no remorse.

He blamed the West for the conflict and made only passing reference to the human cost of his invasion.

Of course, there's been a price to pay, primarily.

The loss is connected to the special military operation.

I'm always thinking about that there are economic costs, too.

But there are enormous gains, without any doubt, what's happening now will ultimately benefit Russia and its future.

It will strengthen our sovereignty.

Strength is what the Kremlin leader is trying to project.

This week, he oversaw massive exercises by Russia's strategic nuclear forces.

A clear message to the west.

Don't mess with Moscow.

President Putin was reminded he'd once said that in a nuclear war, Russians would go to heaven and the enemy to hell.

We're in no rush to go to heaven, are we?

He asks.

There's a long pause.

"Your silence is worrying me," he says.

I paused on purpose so that you'd be worried.

Vladimir Putin rejected Western accusations.

He's been engaged in nuclear saber rattling.

Russia he claimed had nothing to gain from a nuclear strike on Ukraine.

But the fact remains that on the day of the invasion, he issued a very public warning.

"Any country that gets in Russia's way," he said, "would face consequences, the like of which they've never experienced in history."

The warnings continue.

According to Russian official nuclear doctrine,

Russia would launch a strategic nuclear strike against the United States and all the NATO countries as soon as we witness the launch of Western missiles, no matter how armed they are against our territories and then the whole planet will die.

Moscow may be hoping nuclear rhetoric will scare the West into reducing support for Ukraine.

It hasn't so far.

What we saw and heard today was the world according to Vladimir Putin, and it is a world in which he is the good guy and the West is the villain.

That is the script the criminal leader sticks to.

And it's why we heard him today accused the west of igniting the war in Ukraine.

And it's why we heard him talk about the emergence of a new world order, which he says should be based on law and justice.

Remember, this is the president who eight months ago invaded a sovereign, independent nation, his neighbor, Ukraine.