Russian leadership has issued a follow-up statement to President Vladimir Putin's Thursday brief video address warning that if the US and UK authorize Ukraine to pursue long-range strikes on Russian soil, then NATO and the Russian Federation will be in an official state of war.
On Friday Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, informed the UN Security council that NATO countries would "start an open war" in allowing Western long-range missiles to target Russia.
"If such a decision is made, that means NATO countries are starting an open war against Russia," Moscow’s envoy introduced. "In that case, we will obviously be forced to make certain decisions, with all the attendant consequences for Western aggressors."
Nebenzia continued, "Our Western colleagues will not be able to dodge responsibility and blame Kiev for everything." And he echoed some key talking points of Putin's from the day prior in explaining to the UN body, per Russian media:
"Only NATO troops can program the flight solutions for those missile systems. Ukraine doesn’t have that capability. This is not about allowing Kiev to strike Russia with long-range weapons, but about the West making the targeting decisions."
The Kremlin's position is that if Western missiles staring raining down on Russian soil, it will consider no distinction between Kiev forces and their NATO backers supplying the munitions. It won't matter who is pulling the trigger.
"NATO would become directly involved in military action against a nuclear power. I don’t think I have to explain what consequences that would have," Nebenzia concluded.
To review of Putin's firm words the day prior...
"So this is not about whether or not to allow the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia using these weapons, but of deciding whether or not NATO countries are directly involved in the military conflict or not. If such a decision is taken, it will mean nothing short of direct participation of NATO countries, the United States, European countries, in the war in Ukraine.
This would constitute their direct participation, and this, of course, changes the very essence, the very nature of the conflict. It will mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries, are at war with Russia. And if this is so, bearing in mind the change in the very nature of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions based on the threats that will be posed to us," Putin said.
It is important to note that Putin used the word "war" - a word he typically doesn't throw around lightly. The Kremlin still calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation" and has yet to launch a full-scale national mobilization of the country's manpower and resources.
It appears a highly dangerous nuclear game of chicken (among nuclear super-powers!) is being played out on the world stage...
HARD TO TAKE ANYTHING FROM PUTIN AT HIS WORD: KIRBY
Below is more from breaking White House statements issued by spokesman John Kirby ahead of an afternoon press briefing. He appears to actually be downplaying Putin's warning.
Kirby: "If Mr. Putin is so concerned about the safety and security of Russian sites and cities, the easiest way to alleviate those concerns is to get his troops to hell out of Ukraine and the war."
"...He starts brandishing the nuclear sword, for instance, yeah, we take that seriously. We constantly monitor that kind of activity. He obviously has proven capable of aggression. He's obviously proven capable of escalation over the last now going on three years. So, yeah, we take these guns seriously, but it is not something that we haven't heard before. So, we take note of it.... We have our own calculus for what we decide to divide to Ukraine and what not."
If Washington and London do actually pull the trigger on long-range strikes even after Putin's new red line warning, there are a couple of hugely escalatory things Moscow might do in response.
Russia could begin directly taking out Ukrainian government buildings in the capital, such as the Verkhovna Rada building or Zelensky's offices. It's areal forces control the skies but have refrained from such action up to this point. Putin could also declare a formal state of war along with full national mobilization, and this war could even be declared against NATO, which would likely be a point of no return.
Meanwhile, a reminder from a prior Putin speech on the topic of nuclear confrontation with the West: "There will be no winners..."
And cue Trudeau and Canada, an influential NATO member...
BREAKING - CANADA PM TRUDEAU SAYS CANADA FULLY SUPPORTS UKRAINE USING LONG-RANGE WEAPONRY IN WAR AGAINST RUSSIA
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.