MOSCOW: – Russia said on Monday that it hoped its tactical nuclear weapons drills would cool down “hotheads” in the West who were pushing for a direct military confrontation between the U.S.-led NATO military alliance and Russia.
Russia announces tactical nuclear weapons drills pic.twitter.com/q74OfI27pi
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Russia’s foreign ministry mentioned remarks by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French President Emmanuel Macron and the delivery of U.S. Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine.
“They are deliberately leading the situation towards a further escalation of the Ukrainian crisis towards an open military clash between NATO countries and Russia,” the foreign ministry said.
Russia said on Monday it would practice the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons as part of a military exercise after what the Moscow said were threats from France, Britain and the United States.
Let's remind ourselves!
"A few important, very important words for those who may be tempted to intervene from the outside in the events that are taking place.
Whoever tries to interfere with us, and even more to threaten our country, our people, should know that Russia's… pic.twitter.com/vmT4ShjTbj
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“We hope that this event will cool down the ‘hotheads’ in Western capitals,” the foreign ministry said.
Earlier on Monday, Russia warned Britain that if British weapons were used by Ukraine to strike Russian territory then Moscow could hit back at British military installations and equipment both inside Ukraine and elsewhere.
British Ambassador Nigel Casey was summoned to the foreign ministry for a formal protest after Foreign Secretary David Cameron said last week that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons to strike Russia.
❗️ UK Ambassador @NigelCaseyHMA was summoned to @mfa_russia to be warned that any UK military facilities and equipment on Ukrainian territory and beyond could be hit as a response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory with British weapons.
🔗 https://t.co/C8te6ezIsq pic.twitter.com/ZDhAElwtyE
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) May 6, 2024
Russia’s foreign ministry said the Cameron remarks recognised that Britain was now de facto a part of the conflict and contradicted an earlier assurance that long-range weapons given to Ukraine would not be used against Russia.
“Casey was warned that in response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with British weapons, any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and abroad” could be targeted, the foreign ministry said.
The ministry said it considered Cameron’s remarks a serious escalation.
“The Ambassador was called upon to reflect on the inevitable catastrophic consequences of such hostile steps by London and immediately refute the belligerent provocative statements of the head of the Foreign Office in the most decisive and unambiguous way.”
However, Britain denied that Casey had been summoned, saying that he had met Russian officials “for a diplomatic meeting” in which he “reiterated the UK’s support for Ukraine in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression”.
Cameron, during a visit to Kyiv last week, told Reuters that Ukraine had a right to use the weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia, and that it was up to Kyiv whether or not to do so.
The Russian foreign ministry statement said French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent statement on the possible deployment of French troops in Ukraine could also be seen as readiness for direct confrontation with Russia.
(REUTERS)
