The speaker of Russia’s parliament warned on Sunday that countries supplying ukraine Risking its own destruction with more powerful weapons, a message that followed fresh pledges of armored vehicles, air defense systems and other equipment, but Kyiv did not request battle tanks.
“The supply of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime would lead to a global catastrophe,” said Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the State Duma. “If Washington and NATO supply weapons that will be used to attack peaceful cities and attempt to seize our territory as they threaten to do, it will trigger retaliation with more powerful weapons. “
Supporters of Ukraine pledged billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine on Friday even as new commitments by defense leaders failed at an international meeting in Ramstein, Germany, to agree to Ukraine’s urgent request for German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks. was taken care of.
Germany is one of the main donors of arms to Ukraine, and ordered a review of its Leopard 2 stocks in preparation for a possible green light. Nonetheless, the government in Berlin has shown caution at each step of increasing its commitments to Ukraine, a reluctance seen as rooted in its history and political culture.
Its temporality has drawn heavy criticism, particularly from Poland and the Baltic states, countries on NATO’s eastern fringes in the past controlled by Moscow and which feel particularly threatened by Russia’s renewed imperial ambitions.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that if Germany did not agree to transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine, his country was ready to form a “small coalition” of countries that would send theirs anyway.
“Almost a year had passed since the outbreak of the war,” Morawiecki said in an interview published Sunday with the Polish state news agency PAP. Evidence of war crimes by the Russian military can be seen on television and on YouTube. What else does Germany need? Open your eyes and start working according to the potential of the German state?”
Morawiecki said, “Above all, Berlin must not undermine or sabotage the activities of other countries.”
In Washington, two prominent lawmakers urged the US on Sunday to send some of its Abrams tanks to Ukraine, in the interest of overcoming Germany’s reluctance to share its, more suitable Leopard 2 tanks.
“If we announce that we’re giving away an Abrams tank, it will unleash a flow of tanks from Germany,” Rep. Michael McCaul, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told ABC’s “This Week on Sunday.” “What I hear is that Germany is waiting for us to take the lead.”
Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat who is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and considered close to President Joe Biden, also spoke for sending Abrams to the US.
Koons said, “I am concerned that Russia is rearming up and preparing for a spring offensive.” he.”
“There is no doubt that our enemies will try to tire us out or, better yet, destroy us,” Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian Security Council, told the meeting in Ramstein, adding that “they have enough weapons” for the purpose. to receive.
Former Russian President Medvedev warned on his messaging app Channel that Russia may seek to form military alliances with enemies of the United States. He didn’t name the nations he had in mind, but Russia has defense cooperation with Iran and Venezuela, an existing military alliance with Belarus and strong ties with North Korea. Russia has also increased both in scope and in numbers since invading Ukraine. of its joint military exercises with China
Medvedev said, “In the case of a protracted conflict, a new military coalition will emerge consisting of nations that are fed up with the Americans and their bunch of dogs.”
Ukraine is seeking more weapons as it expects Russia’s military to launch a new offensive in the spring.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Council, warned that Russia may seek to intensify its offensive in the south and east and cut off Western arms supply channels, while conquering Kyiv is President Vladimir Putin’s “main goal”. dream” is made. “Imaginations,” he said.
He described the Kremlin’s goal in the conflict as “total and utter genocide, a total war of annihilation”.
“Moscow wants to completely destroy Ukraine as a historical phenomenon – the bearer of its language, history, culture, Ukrainian identity,” Danilov wrote in a column published by Ukrainska Pravda.
Among those demanding more arms for Ukraine was former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Sunday.
“This is the moment to double down and give Ukrainians all the tools they need to get the job done. The sooner Putin fails, the better it is for Ukraine and the world,” Johnson said in a statement.
Johnson, who is facing new questions at home over his personal finances, was pictured in the Kyiv region town of Borodanka. He said he traveled to Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The past week has been particularly tragic for Ukraine, even by the standards of a brutal war that has lasted almost a year, leaving tens of thousands dead, millions uprooted and widespread destruction of Ukrainian cities .
On 14 January a barrage of Russian missiles struck an apartment complex in the southeastern city of Dnipro, killing at least 45 civilians, including six children. On Wednesday, a government helicopter carrying the interior minister and other officials crashed into a kindergarten building in a suburb of Kyiv. The minister and a child lying on the ground are among the 14 killed.
Zelensky, who on Saturday offered condolences for those killed in the helicopter crash, vowed on Sunday that Ukraine would win the war.
“We are united because we are strong. We are strong because we are united,” the Ukrainian leader said in a video address marking Ukraine Unity Day, which commemorates the day in 1919 when eastern and western Ukraine were united .
“Dear invincible people, Happy Ukrainian Unity Day!” They said.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)