A top official in Russia’s parliament warns of a “global tragedy” if Ukraine gets recent weapons from allies because the bitter struggle between the 2 nations approaches the 11-month mark.
Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma – the lower house of the Russian parliament – issued an ominous message Sunday after Kiev’s allies pledged to provide more armored vehicles, air defense systems and other equipment to fight Russian troops.
He said that countries sending more powerful weapons may lead to “a world tragedy that can destroy their countries.”
“Supplying offensive weapons to the Kiev regime would lead to a world catastrophe,” said Volodin, a detailed ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If Washington and NATO were to provide weapons that may be used to attack peaceful cities and check out to seize our territory as they threaten, it could trigger retaliation with more powerful weapons.”
He claimed that US and NATO aid to Ukraine led to a “terrible war”.
Volodin has held his current position since 2016; previously held high positions within the presidential administration. He can be a member of Putin’s Security Council, which supplies him everlasting access to the president.
While supporters pledged to send billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine at a Friday meeting at Germany’s Ramstein Air Base, no agreement was reached on Ukraine’s urgent request for German Leopard 2 battle tanks.
The transfer of those tanks have to be approved by Berlin, though they’re owned by other NATO countries.
When German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was asked in regards to the tanks at a joint press conference with France on Sunday in Paris, he ducked, as an alternative highlighting the big contribution Germany had already made to Ukraine.
“The US is doing so much, Germany is doing so much too,” he said as Germany faced criticism for its caution, especially from Poland and other Baltic states.
A German diplomat said Sunday that if Poland sends tanks to Ukraine, German officials won’t mind.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told French LCI television that although Poland had not sought formal approval, “if we had been asked, we’d not have stood in the best way.”
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has promised to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine with a “smaller coalition” of nations, even when Germany doesn’t give his country the green light.
French President Emmanuel Macron said at the identical press conference in Paris that he didn’t rule out sending Leclerc tanks to Ukraine. He said one among the aspects in France’s decision could be whether handing over the tanks would lead to an escalation of the conflict.
Through the speech of the 2 world leaders, France and Germany celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of their friendship after World War II.
Meanwhile, Congressman Michael McCaul (Republic of Texas) and Senator Chris Coons (Del. Del.) urged the USA on Sunday to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine to counter Germany’s hesitation.
“If it required us to send some Abrams tanks to unlock the potential of obtaining Leopard tanks from Germany, from Poland, from other allies, I might support it,” Coons told ABC’s This Week.
Ukraine has been asking for more weapons in recent weeks to prepare for a possible recent Russian offensive within the spring.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, said the meeting on the German airbase “left little doubt that our enemies will try to exhaust us, or higher yet, destroy us”, while acknowledging that they “have enough weapons” to accomplish that.
He said that if the war, which began on February 24, 2022, dragged on, it may lead to Russia forming a military alliance with “nations which can be fed up with Americans and their pack of neutered dogs.”
Medvedev, Russia’s former president, warned last week that if Russia loses the war with Ukraine, there may very well be a nuclear war.
With postal wires