Mikhail Gorbachev has warned that a new arms race means "the nuclear threat once again seems real" as he stated it "looks as if the world is preparing for war".

The former Soviet leader called on Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to work together to take steps to reduce the world's nuclear arsenal.

"Politicians and military leaders sound increasingly belligerent and defence doctrines more dangerous. Commentators and TV personalities are joining the bellicose chorus. It all looks as if the world is preparing for war," he wrote in an article for Time magazine.