Three days after president Vladimir Putin aired a shift in his country’s nuclear doctrine, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of using Ukraine – which Russia invaded in February 2022 – as a tool to try “to defeat” Moscow strategically, and “preparing Europe for it to also throw itself into this suicidal escapade.”
“I’m not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is,” he said.
Mr Putin’s recent announcement – which appeared to lower significantly the threshold for the possible use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal – was seen as a message to the US and other Western countries as Ukraine seeks its go-ahead to strike Russia with longer-range weapons.
“Whether or not they will provide the permission for Ukraine for long-range weapons, then we will see what their understanding was of what they heard,” Mr Lavrov said at a news conference after his speech yesterday.
The Biden administration this week announced an additional $2.7bn in military aid for Ukraine, but it doesn’t include the type of long-range arms that president Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking, nor a green light to use such weapons to strike deep into Russia.
Esta historia es de la edición September 29, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 29, 2024 de The Independent.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Atomic bomb guinea pigs fight for justice 70 years on
Joe Shute hears the story of men on whom the army tested the effects of a nuclear blast, and how this could be a scandal similar in scale to the Post Office and infected blood cases
'I put my head down, do the work - people can follow it'
A developing force for the Red Roses, Morwenna Talling has grown in stature since making her debut as a teenager - and looks set for a key role at WXV
Springboks crush Pumas to claim championship in style
Aphelele Fassi and Pieter-Steph du Toit scored two tries each as dominant South Africa cruised to the 2024 Rugby Championship title with a comprehensive 48-7 victory over Argentina at a festive Mbombela Stadium.
Gordon on the spot as City are left ruing absent friends
There are different ways of deducting points from Manchester City.
Never-say-die Gunners hit Foxes with a late one-two
If this title race is to be “a war”, as Gabriel put it, Arsenal have claimed victory in a battle that may end up much more decisive than anyone expected.
US takes extreme measures to prove election not rigged
Four years after Donald Trump and his loyalists repeated groundless claims of election fraud, counties across the United States are working to ensure 2024 won’t be a repeat of 2020 by taking extreme measures to demonstrate that US elections are not “rigged”.
Dozens killed as Hurricane Helene batters homes in US
Dozens of people have died after Hurricane Helene raced across a wide area of the southeastern US, with more than three million homes being left without power.
Russia warns West against fighting a nuclear power
Russia’s top diplomat last night warned against “trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power”, delivering a UN General Assembly speech packed with condemnations of what Moscow sees as Western attempts at global domination and machinations in Ukraine, and even inside the United Nations itself.
The hothead Spaniards who served with SAS in WWII
British comrades despaired of their discipline but marvelled at their courage. Graham Keeley speaks to Sean Scullion, whose new book tells the story of the volunteer commandos
My ex threatened me with a hot iron, says mother of two
A domestic abuse victim tells Maya Oppenheim how she was made 'a prisoner' throughout a two-decade-long campaign
