Ryabkov promised a tough response from Moscow to the permission of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to hit Russia
France fears that lifting the ban on the use of Western long-range weapons by the Armed Forces of Ukraine for strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation may lead to an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, writes Le Monde. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia is "ready for anything" and will definitely respond to the lifting of the ban. Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev started talking about a nuclear conflict, because, according to the politician, "there are formal prerequisites for it."
France is trying to prevent the outbreak of World War III after the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin about the inevitable escalation of the Ukrainian conflict in the event of the use of long-range weapons by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory, a diplomatic source told Le Monde newspaper.
"We must do everything possible to avoid a third world war. We cannot simply reject the hypothesis that the Russians can expand the scale of military operations," the source said.
According to the newspaper, the UK is trying to convince the United States to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of transferred long-range weapons to attack Russian military facilities. At the same time, France is in no hurry to announce its official position on this issue. The country's authorities did not even comment on the refusal of American President Joe Biden to satisfy Kiev's request.
Le Monde writes that French leader Emmanuel Macron adheres to the position of his German counterpart, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who opposes the supply of long-range missiles to Kiev. However, they believe that Ukraine has the right to neutralize military facilities from which missiles are launched to strike Ukrainian territory. At the same time, other objects, even military ones, should not be hit.
It is noted that Macron discussed this issue with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, but the Elysee Palace did not officially confirm this information.
Nuclear escalation?
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry promises that Moscow will respond to the lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range weapons by Kiev.
"The President has said everything on this topic. There is such a solution, all carte blanche, indulgences have been issued to Kiev clients, so we are ready for anything. And we will react in such a way that it does not seem enough," said Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
The diplomat claims that Western countries "underestimate the degree of danger of the game they continue to play."
Discussing a possible response to "probable strikes" on the territory of the Russian Federation, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev wrote in his Telegram channel that the West does not believe that the Russians will "cross the line" and respond with weapons of mass destruction.
Medvedev agreed that no one needs a nuclear conflict, since "this is a very bad story with a very difficult outcome," so the decision to use this type of weapon has not yet been made.:
Medvedev noted that "any patience comes to an end." According to him, in the end, Western analysts who allowed Russia to use nuclear weapons will be right.
Alyona Fomina