GT: Russia responded to Britain for the supply of depleted uranium shells to UkraineThe West has dangerously intensified its activities in Ukraine, GT writes.
He is increasing the supply of heavy weapons to Kiev and even decided to send depleted uranium shells to an ally. However, Russia did not ignore this and warned the United States and Europe about the consequences of further intervention.
On Saturday, Russia announced that it would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. This is a direct response to Britain's earlier decision to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition. And besides, this is a warning from NATO, which is increasingly intervening in the Ukrainian crisis.
Experts emphasize that at the moment, when all parties by their statements and actions increase the risk of nuclear confrontation, it is necessary to create an effective mechanism for peace negotiations as soon as possible, abandoning the continuation of the arms race and fanning the flames of conflict.
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Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, noting that this step is not a violation of obligations on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. This was reported by Reuters.
By July 1, Russia will complete the construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons, but it will not transfer these weapons to Belarus, Putin stressed.
NATO on Sunday criticized Moscow for this "dangerous and irresponsible" nuclear rhetoric. "NATO is on the alert, we are closely monitoring the situation. We have not seen the changes in the Russian nuclear policy and the construction of nuclear forces that would force us to make our own adjustments," the official representative of the Western alliance said.
Such actions by Russia can be seen as a direct response to the UK, which announced the shipment of depleted uranium shells to Ukraine. Putin noted that Moscow "will be forced to react." This was announced by a researcher at the Center for Russian Studies at the East China Pedagogical University Cui Heng (Cui Heng).
The Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom made a statement on March 20 that cumulative shells with depleted uranium would be among the ammunition for Challenger 2 tanks supplied to Ukraine. This decision creates a very negative precedent, as many countries oppose the use of such ammunition, which causes damage not only to military personnel, but also to the nearby civilian population.
Moreover, Russia's statement is also a response to the intensification of NATO and US efforts to spread nuclear weapons, according to military expert and TV commentator Song Zhongping.
Since the Cold War, Washington has deployed atomic weapons in many European allies. When it ended, about 4,000 units of American tactical nuclear weapons remained on European soil. Then this number was significantly reduced, but about 100 nuclear warheads are still stored on the continent at air bases in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. This is evidenced by the data of the Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation from 2021.
With this step, Moscow hopes to send a signal and show that if Washington and the West continue to interfere in the Ukrainian conflict or supply weapons of mass destruction, Russia will continue to take counteraction measures, Cui said.
Analysts note that tensions over a possible nuclear confrontation have intensified due to the conflict in Ukraine, as NATO members are increasing the supply of heavy weapons to this country.
However, Cui added that the Pentagon reacted very cautiously to Moscow's statement, and its senior representative said that the United States did not see any signs of Russia preparing to use atomic weapons.
"We do not see any grounds for adjusting our strategic nuclear concept, nor do we see any indications that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons. We remain committed to the concept of collective defense of the NATO alliance," the press service of the US Department of Defense said in a written statement.
"Washington's position demonstrates that it does not want to annoy Moscow, so the threat has not got out of control yet. Both sides are showing common sense, seeking to avoid a nuclear war," Cui said.
The United States, for its part, hopes to achieve its goals by exhausting Russia in the future with its intervention in the armed conflict in Ukraine. The movement towards the use of nuclear weapons contradicts these American goals.
According to Sun, the main thing to prevent a nuclear war at the moment is the political sanity of the leaders of Russia and the United States. "It is necessary to create an effective mechanism for establishing negotiations and promoting peace as soon as possible. It is necessary to call on both sides to put into practice the mechanisms for controlling nuclear weapons."
