Moscow's military failures in Ukraine, especially after the sinking of the Russian navy's flagship Moskva in the Black Sea, bring back Vladimir Putin's threat to use nuclear weapons as a last resort to his deadlocks, the United States believes, now adding another dangerous parameter to the "Ukraine" after exactly fifty days of war.
Russia's conflict with the West is intensifying, after the Kremlin issued threats, including references to nuclear weapons, about Finland's intention to join NATO, while Washington insists on enlarging the Pact, believing that it will strengthen the security of European states.
In an overnight address, President Volodymyr Zelensky described the 50 days of resistance to the Russian invasion as an achievement of the Ukrainian people. "It is an achievement of millions of Ukrainians," he noted emphatically, adding "thank God, the armed forces of Ukraine, our people - we defended most of our country." And as he noted charged "to put it mildly, no one was convinced that we would survive. Many advised us to de facto surrender to tyranny, but they did not know how brave Ukrainians are."
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Zelensky thanked foreign leaders and countries that have provided aid to Ukraine, but also took swipes at those who have not done so decisively. Meanwhile, throughout the night, alarms were sounded in cities throughout Ukrainian territory, including in the west of the country, and powerful explosions were heard in Kiev, Kherson and Kharkiv, confirming Moscow's desire to keep the war fronts open beyond the Donbass region, towards which it is directing its main forces.
The Kremlin also returned yesterday to the issue of peace efforts, insisting on four conditions, the acceptance of which it is asking Volodymyr Zelensky to accept in order to achieve a ceasefire. With the unpleasant turn the Russian invasion has taken for Moscow, the fierce Ukrainian resistance and weapons aid from the West, even if the Ukrainian president criticises those countries that refuse a total embargo on Russian oil, it seems extremely difficult at this time, if not unlikely, for Kiev to give in to Putin's demand.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian president could meet with Zelensky if the latter agreed to the conditions set at the Istanbul meeting a few weeks ago. As the Russian official said, "the document for signing the agreement is ready," admitting that "at the moment, we have no new information about it."
And the conditions included in this document are the recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, the recognition also of the independence of Donbass, the change of the Ukrainian Constitution to ensure the neutrality of the country, which means its non-membership in NATO, and a clear assurance of the non-presence of foreign military forces on Ukrainian territory.
The sinking of the "Moskva" and the nukes
In the hours leading up to the news that Ukrainian resistance forces had struck the Russian flagship "Moskva" in the Black Sea, which shortly afterwards was sunk while being towed, CIA Director William Burns warned that Russia's threats to use nuclear weapons must be taken seriously." And he explained that because of the "potential desperation" that possesses President Putin and the Russian leadership over failures on the military front in Ukraine, "none of us can take lightly the threat of a resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low-yield nuclear weapons." He noted that the US agency is monitoring this possibility very closely, but clarified that no moves have yet been identified by Russia for such an action.
However, in the wake of the processes triggered by Finland's (mostly Finland's and less so Sweden's at the moment) intention to join NATO, there is an extreme reference to nuclear weapons on the part of Moscow. Russian Security Council Vice President Dmitry Medvedev warned Helsinki and the NATO leadership that his country will strengthen its defence and that there can no longer be talk of a "denuclearised" Baltic, noting that "the balance must be restored".
Shortly afterwards, State Department spokesman Ned Price responded indirectly to Medvedev, stating that "NATO enlargement would enhance security in Europe", adding that the US had no reason to worry that the enlargement of a defence alliance could result in anything other than that - note: that is, enhancing European security."
Source: Proto Thema
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