Russian President Vladimir Putin wants the West to know that he is aware that NATO and the U.S. are preparing to strike Moscow and that he would not have qualms about using the country’s nuclear arsenal to “destroy civilization.”
According to Reuters, the Ukraine war has triggered the worst crisis in Moscow’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Putin has previously spoken of the dangers of a confrontation between NATO and Russia, but his nuclear warning on Thursday was one of his most explicit. The 71-year-old Russian leader said: “They, NATO and America, are active in other parts of the world, of course, and they continue to lie there, to deceive. They are preparing to strike our territory and, using the best possible forces, the most effective forces to do so. But we remember the fate of those who try to invade our territory and of course, their fate will be much more tragic than anything we could face.”
Speaking ahead of a March 15 to 17 presidential election when he is certain to be re-elected for another six-year term, Putin made sure to get it out in public how advanced and modernized the Russian nuclear arsenal is, further warning the West: “They have to understand that we also have weapons, weapons that can defeat them on their territory. Of course, all this is very dangerous because it could trigger the use of nuclear weapons. Do they not understand that?” He reiterated that strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use.
He also said that the provocation to trigger a nuclear attack could be catalyzed if NATO continues to send troops to Ukraine. He said that Russia must strengthen its western military district after Finland and Sweden’s admission to the Atlantic Alliance as Finland has a long land border with northwest Russia. “They should eventually realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. Everything that the West comes up with creates the real threat of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and thus the destruction of civilization,” Putin added.
Meanwhile, Germany, Poland and NATO have ruled out sending ground troops to Ukraine. The statements came after French President Emmanuel Macron raised the prospect following a European leaders’ meeting on boosting support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said “that there will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil who are sent there by European states or NATO states.” He also said that there was also consensus “that soldiers operating in our countries also are not participating actively in the war themselves.” Moreover, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, two of Kyiv’s strongest supporters, stated they too were not considering sending troops. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also told the Associated Press that while members of the alliance had provided “unprecedented support” to Ukraine, “there are no plans for NATO combat troops on the ground in Ukraine.”
Lithuania plans to send troops to Kyiv, ignoring Putin’s warning
As other European countries rejected Macron’s suggestion of sending Western troops to Ukraine, Lithuania’s foreign minister told CNN on Thursday that he “fully supports” the idea. Gabrielius Landsbergis said that “like-minded countries” could “lend a hand in Ukraine’s fight” by sending personnel to the country. “Most likely we are not talking about combat troops, but it could be training, it could be other thoughts of assistance to Ukraine,” he added. “I have to stress here that we are not talking about NATO action, not EU action, but it could be a group of countries, a group of allies who would think the same way, who would be ready to assist Ukraine in that matter, in that way.”
He added that he saw several signs, rhetorical, practical and military signs that Russia is not about to stop with Ukraine. According to him, it is likely that they will be mobilizing an additional 400,000 troops and it’s not omitted that they will be placed on NATO’s border. “It has to be very clear that Ukraine has to win if we don’t want this conflict to spread and spread also into NATO countries,” he stated.
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