U.S. warns of 'catastrophic consequences' if Russia uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine
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Loading... - Stefan Nikolov
- 26 Sep 2022
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The United States warned Moscow of "catastrophic consequences" if it uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine after Russia promised protection to Ukrainian regions it might annex following widely criticised referendums.
Citizens in four regions of Ukraine were voting for a fourth day on Monday in the Russian-organised referendums that Kyiv and the West have branded a sham. They say the outcomes are pre-determined and even countries with close ties to Moscow such as Serbia and Kazakhstan say they will not recognise the results.
But by incorporating the four regions - Luhansk and Donetsk in the east and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south - Moscow could portray Ukraine's efforts to retake them as attacks on Russia itself, a warning to Kyiv and its Western allies.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States would respond to any Russian use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine and had spelled out to Moscow the "catastrophic consequences" it would face.
"If Russia crosses this line, there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia," Sullivan told NBC television on Sunday. "The United States will respond decisively."
Sullivan did not say how Washington would respond but said it had privately told Moscow "in greater detail exactly what that would mean".
His comments followed Wednesday's thinly veiled nuclear threat by President Vladimir Putin, who said Russia would use any weapons to defend its territory.
Asked at the weekend if Moscow would consider using nuclear weapons to defend annexed regions, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russian territory, including that "further enshrined" in Russia's constitution in the future, was under the "full protection of the state".
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he did not believe Putin was bluffing when the Kremlin leader said Moscow would be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia. Read More...
