Kremlin threat on Ukr.
Pol warns on arms
Three days after one Russian official warned of nuclear war if Russia loses the conflict with Ukraine, a leading figure in Russia’s parliament warned Sunday of a “global tragedy” if Ukraine gets new weapons from allies, as the bitter fight between the two nations nears the 11month mark.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of the parliament, issued the ominous message following pledges by allies of Kyiv to provide more armored vehicles, air-defense systems and other equipment.
“Supplies of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime would lead to a global catastrophe,” said Volodin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If Washington and NATO supply weapons that would be used for striking peaceful cities and making attempts to seize our territory as they threaten to do, it would trigger a retaliation with more powerful weapons.”
He claimed the United States and NATO’s assistance to Ukraine has led to a “terrible war.”
Volodin has held his current post since 2016; before that he had a senior role in the presidential administration. He’s also a member of Putin’s Security Council, giving him regular access to the president.
While supporters vowed to send billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine, during a meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday, an agreement wasn’t reached on Ukraine’s urgent request for German-made Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The transfer of those tanks needs the approval of Berlin, although they’re in the possession of other NATO nations.
When German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was asked about the tanks at a joint press conference with France on Sunday in Paris, he deflected, stressing instead the large contributions Germany has already made to Ukraine.
“The US is doing a lot, Germany is doing a lot, too,” he said as Germany faces criticism for its caution, particularly from Poland and other Baltic states.
Germany’s top diplomat said Sunday that if Poland sends tanks into Ukraine, German officials would not object.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told French TV channel LCI that while Poland has not sought formal approval, “if we were asked, we would not stand in the way.”
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki vowed to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine with a “smaller coalition” of countries, even if Germany did not give his country the green light.
French President Emmanuel Macron said at the same Paris press conference that he hasn’t ruled out sending Leclerc main battle tanks to Ukraine.
France and Germany were celebrating 60 years of postWorld War II friendship during the two world leaders’ remarks.
Meanwhile, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) on Sunday urged the US to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine to counteract Germany’s hesitance.