On Thursday, the Russian government accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of trying to provoke a nuclear war against the country amid the Russia-Ukraine ongoing conflict. Kremlin spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the Ukrainian leader had turned into a monster whose hands could destroy the planet.
This is after President Volodymyr Zelensky believed in the need for pre-emptive strikes and stated that NATO should make it impossible for Russia to use nuclear weapons. While addressing the Australian audience via video link, Zelensky said, “We need pre-emptive strikes, so that they’ll know what will happen to them if they use nukes, and not the other way around, Don’t wait for Russia’s nuclear strikes, and then say, ‘Oh, since you did this, take that from us!”, he was quoted.
NEW – Ukraine’s Zelensky calls on NATO to launch “preemptive strikes” against Russia to “eliminate the possibility” of a Russian nuclear strike.pic.twitter.com/gj6mSRZfFF
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The Ukrainian President was speaking at the Lowy Institute’s event when the host asked him about Russia’s nuclear weapon move. “What do you want NATO to do to deter Russia from using nuclear weapons?”, host Michael Fullilove pondered to which Zelensky replied saying that NATO should eliminate the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons.
“Reconsider the way you apply pressure. This is what NATO should do, reconsider the order in which it applies pressure”, he added. The comments were criticized by the Russian Foreign Ministry which stated that the Ukrainian leader was trying to provoke a nuclear war. Also, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the remarks saying that “Zelensky’s comments were nothing but a call to start a world war which would lead to unforeseeable disastrous consequences”.
However, Zelensky’s office later issued a statement clarifying the President did not call for nuclear war but was talking about the period before the start of a full-scale invasion. “Colleagues, you have gone a little far with your nuclear hysteria and now you hear nuclear strikes even where there are none. He did not call on NATO countries to preemptively use nuclear weapons against the Russian Federation. The President spoke about the period until February 24. Then it was necessary to take preventive measures to prevent Russia from starting a war. Let me remind you that the only measures discussed at that time were preventive sanctions”, press secretary Serhiy Nikiforov said.
Nikiforov further in the press statement highlighted that only the state of Russia can afford to threaten the world with disasters and hint at the use of nuclear weapons, but Ukraine would never make such calls. “In the case of mutual use, it is unlikely to be able to stop this process later. We will remind you that on September 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin once again resorted to nuclear blackmail in his address. Meanwhile, the US administration, together with its partners, is discussing a response plan in the event of the use of nuclear weapons by the Russian Federation”, he added.
Reports mention that fears of a massive nuclear escalation have risen since Moscow’s annexation of four occupied areas (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia) of Ukraine, which Russian President Putin formally signed into law on Wednesday.
Russia has been flashing its nuclear hammer in the aftermath of last week’s annexation referendums, which the West denounced as sham votes. Putin’s largest submarine, Belgorod, which can be armed with catastrophic nuclear missiles, was reported to be on the move, and a convoy related to a nuclear unit is said to be in motion in Russia. NATO is said to have sent a warning to its members about the danger of a nuclear escalation by Putin.
