Russia bluntly warned Thursday that additional meddling by Western powers in Ukraine would spark World Conflict III — this time a nuclear one which “can be catastrophic for all mankind.”
A prime Kremlin official particularly threatened worldwide carnage if NATO approves Ukraine’s bid to affix its alliance.
“Kyiv is nicely conscious that such a step would imply a assured escalation to a World Conflict III,” the deputy secretary of Russia’s Safety Council, Alexander Venediktov, informed the state TASS information company.
The warning got here a day after a senior NATO official stated a Russian nuclear strike would nearly definitely set off a “bodily response” from Ukraine’s allies — and Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin stated the US was “dedicated to defending each inch of NATO’s territory.”
Nevertheless, Venediktov took that to imply that Western powers and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been planning preemptive strikes.
Zelensky’s phrases are “not just a few sort of comment, however an open name for the Third World Conflict wherein there might be no winners,” Venediktov stated.
Regardless of his personal president, Vladimir Putin, repeatedly threatening the usage of nuclear weapons — warning that he's “not bluffing” — Venediktov insisted with out proof that solely the West was making such threats.
“Russian officers have by no means voiced a menace to make use of any weapons of mass destruction,” he claimed, ignoring Putin’s repeated threats throughout nationwide broadcasts from the beginning of his invasion.
“In the meantime in Europe, some politicians brazenly name for such actions … Even plenty of politicians within the EU don't conceal and don't rule out the potential of utilizing weapons of mass destruction towards Russia,” he claimed, with out proof.
He claimed that “there are very critical doubts concerning the adequacy of Zelensky,” suggesting that the Ukrainian president is a puppet whose “actions and phrases” are “dictated” by others.
“Subsequently, it could be good for the West to comprehend that their protege can tackle a lot that Washington and Brussels must take into consideration the way to take care of the results.”
Venediktov steered that “harmful” feedback have been solely being made as a result of “within the West, fewer and fewer individuals keep in mind what warfare is.”
“For some purpose, many consider that a nuclear warfare might be waged regionally,” he stated.
“We should keep in mind: A nuclear battle will have an effect on completely the entire world — and never solely Russia and the collective West, however on the whole any nation on this planet.
“Its penalties can be catastrophic for all mankind,” he warned ominously, days after President Biden conceded fears of impending Armageddon.
Venediktov’s interview was given as Russian missiles pounded greater than 40 Ukrainian cities and cities on Thursday, persevering with the dramatic escalation that began Monday.
The southern port metropolis of Mykolaiv got here beneath large bombardment, whereas missiles additionally struck about 30 multi-story buildings and homes within the metropolis of Nikopol within the Dnipropetrovsk area. Hundreds have been left with out energy after fuel pipelines and energy strains have been hit.
Drones additionally hit the area round Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, which till this week had gone months with out such airstrikes. The UN human rights physique stated such assaults, together with a missile that hit simply toes from a playground, amounted to warfare crimes.
Putin blamed the escalation on Ukrainian “terrorist” acts after Russia’s key bridge to Crimea was hit on Sunday.
The speaker of Russia’s decrease legislative home, the State Duma, used the identical excuse Thursday as he warned of worse atrocities to come back.
“Nowhere on the planet does anybody negotiate with terrorists,” Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.
“If the terrorist assaults by the Kyiv regime proceed, the response can be even more durable.”
With Publish wires
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