Putin assessed the risks of the beginning of the Third World War against the background of the incident with Defender
Putin does not think that the incident with the destroyer could lead to a Third World War. According to him, those who made the provocation "know that they will not emerge victorious from this war." The head of Russia is sure that the entry of a British warship into the Black Sea was organized not only by the British, but also by the Americans. In addition, it was of a political nature: the West once again showed its attitude to the decision of the Crimeans to transfer the region under the jurisdiction of Russia back in 2014.
Vladimir Putin during the" direct line " commented on the incident with the British destroyer Defender, which occurred last week. The presenter asked a question "from the category of militants": does it not seem to the president that during the incident with the British destroyer in the Black Sea, the world was on the threshold of the Third World War.
Putin replied that he did not think so, and he called the actions of the British authorities a provocation.
"Even if we sank this ship, it would still be difficult to imagine that the world would stand on the brink of a Third World War, because those who do this know that they will not come out victorious from this war," he said.
The President said that the provocation was complex. "It was conducted not only by the British, but also by the Americans. The Briton came to us in the afternoon, and early in the morning, at 07: 30, an American strategic reconnaissance aircraft took off from one of the NATO military airfields in Greece," he noted.
He added that the destroyer entered the Black Sea for military purposes: "We looked at [the military on the British destroyer], what is turned on where, how it works, where everything is located. We saw this and knew it, so we gave such information as we considered necessary. Maybe I let it slip? The military will excuse me."
The provocation also had a political component, the president believes. That the situation occurred after the meeting in Geneva.
"Then why this provocation? To emphasize that these people do not respect the choice of Crimeans? Do not admit further! But why these provocations, " Putin asked himself.
He also said that when Russia conducted exercises on its territory near the Ukrainian borders, the West made a fuss. After that, the Russian military withdrew from the borders, but instead of responding normally, "they came to our borders," Putin assessed the actions of London.
"I am concerned about another, more fundamental thing - the beginning of the military development of the Ukrainian territory," the president said, adding that this poses a direct threat to Russia's security.
On June 23, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the British destroyer HMS Defender ("Defender") in the area of Cape Fiolent off the coast of Crimea violated the Russian border. The border guards opened a warning fire, and the Su-24M aircraft "performed a warning bombing" on the course of the British destroyer. After that, the ship left Russian waters.
"None of the shots were aimed at HMS Defender, and we do not recognize the claim that bombs were dropped on its route," the press service of the United Kingdom's defense department said.
The head of the British Ministry of Defense, Ben Wallace, said that " the UK does not recognize Russian claims to these waters, we also do not recognize the accusations from the Russian Ministry of Defense that HMS Defender violated the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea."
The Kremlin has previously called the incident with the destroyer a deliberate provocation. Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow is "certainly" concerned about the actions of the British ship.
Angelina Milchenko
