VLADIMIR Putin’s crony has warned of nuclear strikes and insisted Russia is not bluffing in the latest threat against the West.
Dmitry Medvedev’s raging warning comes after President Biden gave a quiet green light for Kyiv to launch American weapons at military targets inside Russia.
ReutersDmitry Medvedev has vowed that Russia is not bluffing when it comes to nuke strikes[/caption]
GettyThe Putin crony raged on Friday that Russia should not be underestimated[/caption]
GettyUkraine could now defend itself in Kharkiv thanks to the US after Russia bombarded the city in the past month[/caption]
EPARussia continues to attack Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv as they look to seize more Ukrainian territory[/caption]
Medvedev said on Friday that Moscow’s conflict with the West was developing according to the worst case scenario and that “nobody today can rule out the conflict’s transition to its final stage.”
The senior Russian security official former president said: “Russia regards all long-range weapons used by Ukraine as already being directly controlled by servicemen from NATO countries.
“This is no military assistance, this is participation in a war against us.
“And such actions could well become a casus belli (an act that provokes a war).”
According to the Putin crony, the West would be making a “fatal mistake” if they believed that Russia was not prepared to employ tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine.
He also mentioned the possibility of using strategic nuclear weapons to attack unnamed enemy nations.
“This is, alas, neither intimidation nor bluffing,” said Medvedev.
“The current military conflict with the West is developing according to the worst possible scenario.
EPAThe latest heinous Russian attack saw several civilians killed in a Kharkiv retail park as Putin fired missiles at a chemical goods store[/caption]
EPAUkrainian rescuers working at the site of shelling of the hypermarket in Kharkiv after dozens of shoppers were wounded or killed[/caption]
GettyPutin previously threatened all-out war if Ukraine was to use weapons supplied by the West[/caption]
“There is a constant escalation when it comes to the firepower of NATO weapons being used.
“Therefore, nobody today can rule out the conflict’s transition to its final stage.”
Medvedev’s warnings came shortly after Joe Biden gave Ukraine the go-ahead to hit back at Russia by using American weapons.
BIDEN’S GREEN LIGHT
Biden finally responded to Ukraine‘s repeated pleas for more assistance from the West by changing US policy to some extent, a decision that is sure to infuriate an already paranoid Putin.
The US President’s secretive decision means American weapons can now be used by Ukraine for “counter-fire purposes” on their aggressors, US officials said.
One of the three sources who announced the lifting of the ban said it will allow Ukraine to “hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them.”
The second anonymous source said Ukraine has been granted the “flexibility” to defend itself.
Biden’s Thursday move could be deemed as a historic first, The New York Times reports.
It marks the first American president to permit limited military action against artillery, missile camps, and command centres located inside the boundaries of a country that possesses nuclear weapons.
The major shake up comes as Russia continues to attack Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv as they look to seize more Ukrainian territory.
Biden’s move could now help Ukraine bite back in Kharkiv as they try to push back Putin’s soldiers.
Ukraine is thought to be looking to use US weapons, such as rockets, to blast Putin’s missiles and drones out of the sky to spare the key Ukrainian city.
But despite the predicted new ruling, officials have maintained their stance that US weapons shouldn’t be offensively used against Russia.
That means Kyiv isn’t allowed to attack Russian civilian infrastructure with any US-supplied weapons.
Meanwhile, Putin threatened all-out war earlier this week if Ukraine was to use weapons supplied by the West.
He singled out Nato allies saying “constant escalation can lead to serious consequences”.
Despite the tyrant’s strong warning, his own country has bombarded Ukraine with weapons from Iran, North Korea and China so far.
ReutersUS President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the go-ahead to strike back at Russia using US weapons, say officials[/caption]
White House statement on Biden’s decision
White House officials have released a statement following President Biden’s go ahead for Kyiv to use US-supplied weapons against Russia.
It partially reads:
“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S.-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkiv region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them.
“Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS or long-range strikes inside of Russia has not changed,” the statement continued, mentioning an artillery system given to Ukraine that is capable of penetrating deep into Russian territory..
American officials said that the change in policy went into effect on Thursday.
