Moscow says that in case of a direct conflict with NATO there is a risk of nuclear war
Russia said today that the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine, the training of Ukrainian troops in their use, the sending of mercenaries and NATO exercises along the Russian borders increase the possibility of a direct conflict, in which there is always the risk of a full-fledged nuclear war.
“The supply to Ukraine by NATO countries of weapons, the training of their troops to use Western equipment, the sending of mercenaries and exercises by the Alliance near our borders increase the probability of a direct and open conflict. between NATO and Russia (…), said the vice president of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev.
In his Telegram account, the former Russian president added that “such a conflict always has the risk of becoming a full-fledged nuclear war.”
NATO ready to integrate Finland quickly
The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, assured today that the Alliance is willing to integrate Finland “quickly” if it requests its admission, after today the leaders of the Nordic country have given their support to enter the organization in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“I welcome the joint statement by (Finnish) President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister (Sanna) Marin supporting NATO’s application without delay,” Stoltenberg said in a message to the press, in which he emphasized that the doors of the Atlantic Alliance “are open.”
Stoltenberg stressed that the option to join NATO is a “sovereign decision of Finland, which NATO fully respects.”
Russia warns that Finland’s entry into NATO will be a threat
Russia stated today that Finland’s entry into NATO will undoubtedly be a threat and does not make the European continent more stable or more secure.
“Without a doubt” it is a threat, said the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, in his daily telephone press conference when answering a question about it, adding that “a new enlargement of NATO does not make our continent more stable or more secure. “.
He explained that, once Finland enters the Atlantic Alliance, Russia will analyze the situation to develop the necessary measures to guarantee its security.
“NATO is moving towards our side. That is why all of this will be elements for a special analysis and to elaborate the necessary measures to balance the situation and guarantee our security,” the spokesman said.
Finland takes steps towards NATO
Finland is moving towards eventual entry into the Atlantic Alliance by finding a consensus among its authorities, a hypothesis that Russia sees as a threat that does not contribute to security in Europe and that NATO itself wants to favor quickly.
Both the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, and the Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, today adopted the historic decision to support NATO accession and thus break more than eight decades of non-alignment.
“Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the steps at the national level still necessary to make this decision will be taken in the coming days,” the two leaders said in a joint statement.
According to Niinistö and Marin, membership in NATO – of which it is an associated country but not a member – would strengthen Finland’s security and, in turn, the Nordic country would strengthen the military alliance.
Fighting in Donetsk and Luhansk
Russian troops continue to carry out offensive operations in what they call the Eastern Ukraine Operational Zone, to control the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, both pro-Russian, and in Kherson, in the south and partially under their control, to maintain the land corridor with the occupied Crimea.
On the other hand, in the north of the Kharkov region, badly hit by the Russian attacks in recent days that try to occupy Donetsk from there, the invading forces attack the Ukrainian troops with artillery to cause losses in weapons and equipment storage. mainly military.