Putin's ally warns West of nuclear war

Photo: Maxar Technologies/via REUTERS/File photo.

A close ally of Mr Putin warned Western countries on Thursday of the possibility of nuclear war if they gave Ukraine the green light to use Western-made long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia.

Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the Russian State Duma and member of the Russian Security Council, responded to a vote by the European Parliament urging EU countries to allow Kyiv to take these actions.

On Telegram, Mr. Volodin wrote: "The calls of the European Parliament will lead to global nuclear war."

His messages were headlined “To those who did not understand the first warning” – a reference to a warning Mr Putin issued last week that Western countries would confront Russia directly if they allowed Ukraine to launch long-range missiles into Russian territory.

The war in Ukraine has sparked the most serious confrontation between Russia and the West since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, an event seen as the closest the two Cold War superpowers came to global nuclear war.

Speaking to The Times this week, outgoing NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said the Kremlin leader had drawn “many red lines” but had never escalated a conflict with the West when they were crossed. Putin’s spokesman described the comments as dangerous and provocative.

In a non-binding resolution adopted on Thursday, the European Parliament demanded that EU countries "immediately lift restrictions on the use of Western weapons systems supplied to Ukraine against legitimate military targets on Russian territory".

"If this happens, Russia will respond harshly and use more powerful weapons. The parties should not be mistaken on this issue," Volodin wrote. He said Moscow recognized that Western countries had forgotten the enormous sacrifices made by the Soviet Union during World War II.

He said European countries must understand that Russia's RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, also known as Satan II by Western countries, could strike Strasbourg, where the European Parliament is meeting, within 3 minutes and 20 seconds.

Nguyen Quang Minh (According to Reuters)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/dong-minh-cua-ong-putin-canh-bao-phuong-tay-ve-chien-tranh-hat-nhan-204240920093347517.htm