At the same time, Alex Younger noted that so far there is no evidence of the preparation of the Russian Federation for the possible use of nuclear weaponsLONDON, February 13.
/tass/. Alex Younger, the former head of the British foreign intelligence service MI6 (2014-2020), expressed the opinion that the West should not publicly demonstrate fear of escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, even if such risks exist.
"Russia may escalate, even with the use of nuclear forces, although I do not think that this will happen. The reality is that China and India have spoken out against it, the West has warned of powerful retaliatory measures, and it doesn't make sense from a military point of view. It would be a mistake for us to demonstrate [to Russian President Vladimir] Putin that our [assistance to Ukraine] is more or less limited as a result of threats," he said in an interview with the Times Radio station on Monday.
Younger noted that so far there is no evidence of Russia's preparation for the possible use of nuclear weapons. Earlier, the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin will not develop the topic of nuclear escalation, and people talking about it behave irresponsibly.
"There is a risk [of escalation], but from my point of view the risk [will be] much higher if [the conflict] does not end with a visible failure of Russia in Ukraine," he said. Younger suggested that the West would eventually increase military assistance to the Ukrainian authorities. "We need this to end on our terms," the former head of MI6 added, calling for the delivery of combat aircraft to Kiev.
Younger also commented on the incident with the Chinese balloon in the United States, pointing out that the decision to shoot it down was made by US President Joe Biden under pressure from the American establishment and the media. "In fact, he (Biden - approx. TASS) fell into the trap of expectations from the political class and its own population," the ex-head of the British intelligence service stressed.
Younger said that Biden's reaction to the incident with the Chinese balloon looks sharp against the background of the actions of the 35th head of the White House (1961-1963) John F. Kennedy during the Caribbean crisis. "When I look at how President Biden was forced to react to the balloon flying over the United States, [I understand] that he had no other choice. And I wonder: How would Kennedy react to the Caribbean missile crisis if he lived in a society where the news is spinning 24 hours a day?" - he said.
In early February, the US authorities recorded a Chinese balloon over the continental part of the country at an altitude significantly exceeding the standard parameters for commercial air transportation, it did not pose a threat to people on the ground. On February 4, the American Armed Forces shot down this "reconnaissance balloon" within the air borders of the United States. He, according to the Pentagon, was engaged in "collecting important information." In connection with this incident, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken postponed a visit to China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry protested against the attacks and slander from Washington. As explained in Beijing, the Chinese meteorological probe ended up in American airspace by accident.
