Russia official warns West of destruction for arming Ukraine
The speaker of the lower house of Russia's parliament warned Sunday that countries supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons risked their own destruction, a message that followed new pledges of armored vehicles, air defense systems and other equipment but not the battle tanks Kyiv requested.
Ukraine's supporters pledged billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine during a meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday, though the new commitments were to agree on Ukraine's urgent request for German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks.
State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said that governments giving more powerful weapons to Ukraine could cause a 맥스카지노global tragedy that would destroy their countries.맥스카지노
맥스카지노Supplies of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime would lead to a global catastrophe,맥스카지노 he said. 맥스카지노If Washington and NATO supply weapons that would be used for striking peaceful cities and making attempts to seize our territory as they threaten to do, it would trigger a retaliation with more powerful weapons.맥스카지노
Germany is one of the main donors of weapons to Ukraine, and it ordered a review of its Leopard 2 stocks in preparation for a possible green light. Nonetheless, the government in Berlin has shown caution at each step of increasing its commitments to Ukraine, a hesitancy and political culture.
French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, said Sunday that he does not rule out sending Leclerc battle tanks to Ukraine and had asked his defense minister to 맥스카지노work on맥스카지노 the idea.
Macron spoke during a news conference in Paris with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as their countries commemorated the 60th anniversary of their post-World War II friendship treaty. In a joint declaration, France and Germany committed to their 맥스카지노unwavering support맥스카지노 for Ukraine.
France will make its tank decision based on three criteria, Macron said: that sharing the equipment does not lead to an escalation of the conflict, that it would provide efficient and workable help when training time is taken into account, and that it wouldn맥스카지노t weaken France맥스카지노s own military.
Scholz did not respond when asked about the Leopard 2 tanks Sunday, but stressed that his country already has made sizable military contributions to Ukraine.
맥스카지노The U.S. is doing a lot, Germany is doing a lot, too," he said. "We have constantly expanded our deliveries with very effective weapons that are already available today. And we have always coordinated all these decisions closely with our important allies and friends.맥스카지노
Germany's tentativeness has drawn criticism, particularly from Poland and the Baltic states, countries on NATO's eastern flank that feel especially threatened by Russia's renewed aggression.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that if Germany does not consent to transferring Leopard tanks to Ukraine, his country was prepared to build a 맥스카지노smaller coalition맥스카지노 of countries that would send theirs anyway.
맥스카지노Almost a year had passed since the outbreak of war," Morawiecki said in an interview with Polish state news agency PAP published Sunday. "Evidence of the Russian army맥스카지노s war crimes can be seen on television and on YouTube. What more does Germany need to open its eyes and start to act in line with the potential of the German state?맥스카지노
In Washington, two leading lawmakers urged the U.S. on Sunday to send some of its Abrams tanks to Ukraine in the interests of overcoming Germany맥스카지노s reluctance to share its own, more suitable tanks.
맥스카지노If we announced we were giving an Abrams tank, just one, that would unleash맥스카지노 the flow of tanks from Germany, Rep. Michael McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told ABC맥스카지노s 맥스카지노This Week on Sunday.맥스카지노 맥스카지노What I hear is that Germany맥스카지노s waiting on us to take the lead.맥스카지노
Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat who is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also spoke up for the U.S. sending Abrams.
"If it requires our sending some Abrams tanks in order to unlock getting the Leopard tanks from Germany, from Poland, from other allies, I would support that,맥스카지노 Coons said.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of the Russian Security Council, said the U.S.-led meeting at the air base in Germany 맥스카지노left no doubt that our enemies will try to exhaust or better destroy us,맥스카지노 adding that 맥스카지노they have enough weapons맥스카지노 to achieve the purpose.
Medvedev, a former Russian president, warned on his messaging app channel that 맥스카지노in case of a protracted conflict,맥스카지노 Russia could seek to form a military alliance with "the nations that are fed up with the Americans and a pack of their castrated dogs."
Ukraine is asking for more weapons as it anticipates Russia's forces launching a new offensive in the spring.
Oleksii Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine맥스카지노s Security and Defense Council, warned that Russia may try to intensify its attacks in the south and in the east and to cut supply channels of Western weapons, while conquering Kyiv 맥스카지노remains the main dream맥스카지노 in President Vladimir Putin맥스카지노s "fantasies,맥스카지노 he said.
In a column published by online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda. he described the Kremlin맥스카지노s goal in the conflict as a 맥스카지노total and absolute genocide, a total war of destruction"
Among those calling for more arms for Ukraine was the former British prime minister, Boris Johnson, who made a surprise trip to Ukraine on Sunday. Johnson, who was pictured in the Kyiv region town of Borodyanka, said he traveled to Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
맥스카지노This is the moment to double down and to give the Ukrainians all the tools they need to finish the job. The sooner Putin fails, the better for Ukraine and for the whole world,맥스카지노 Johnson said in a statement.
The last week was for Ukraine even by the standards of a brutal war that has gone on for nearly a year, killing tens of thousands of people, uprooting millions more and creating vast destruction of Ukrainian cities.
A barrage of Russian missiles struck an apartment complex in the southeastern city of Dnipro on Jan. 14, killing at least 45 civilians. On Wednesday, a government helicopter crashed into a building housing a kindergarten in a suburb of Kyiv. Ukraine's interior minister, other officials and a child on the ground were among the 14 people killed.
Zelenskyy vowed Sunday that Ukraine would ultimately prevail in the war.
맥스카지노We are united because we are strong. We are strong because we are united," the Ukrainian leader said in a video address as he marked Ukraine Unity Day, which commemorates when east and west Ukraine were united in 1919.
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Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.