RUSSIA, BELARUS, UKRAINE, GERMANY: A nuclear war would be catastrophic for humanity and Moscow prays that the tense situation in Ukraine will not spiral into this, one of Russia’s top diplomats has claimed after President Vladimir Putin placed the country’s arsenal on high combat alert.
Speaking at a press conference at the UN on Monday, Russia’s Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya responded to journalists’ questions as to whether an atomic strike is looming.
“As for the use of nuclear weapons, I hope God will not allow this,” he said.
Speaking via video-link at the Geneva disarmament conference on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov argued that there will be no winner if a nuclear war were to erupt.
Meanwhile, Russian troops in Ukraine are attacking only military targets, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday, commenting on the news that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague would launch a probe into possible war crimes in Ukraine.
An ICC prosecutor said on Monday that there was “a reasonable basis to believe that both alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity” had been committed in Ukraine. Accusations against Russia were filed with the ICC by Kiev.
Russian troops “do not attack civilian facilities or residential areas,” Peskov added, reiterating previous statements to that effect by the Russian defense ministry.
Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said yesterday he had ordered more troops to the south of the country, by the border with Ukraine, the Belta news agency reported.
But forces of Belarus, a close ally of Russia, would not be taking part in the attack on Ukraine, he added.
On the sixth day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Lukashenko told a meeting of his security council that he would be sending five tactical battle groups to protect the south. These battle groups will comprise hundreds of soldiers equipped with armoured vehicles and artillery. Helicopters and warplanes were already protecting the southern border, he told the meeting. Explaining his decision not to send troops into Ukraine itself, he said: “That’s not our job.” Lukashenko also said he was sending troops west to the country’s border with Poland.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged the European Union today to prove that it sided with Ukraine in its war with Russia and a day after signing an official request to join the bloc.
“The European Union is going to be much stronger with us, that’s for sure. Without you, Ukraine is going to be lonesome,” Zelenskiy told the European Parliament by video link.
“Do prove that you are with us. Do prove that you will not let us go. Do prove that you are indeed Europeans and then life will win over death and light will win over darkness. Glory be to Ukraine,” he continued. Meanwhile, all 31 member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) have agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves, half of that from the United States, “to send a strong message to oil markets” that there will be “no shortfall in supplies” after Russia invaded Ukraine, the group said Tuesday. The board of the Paris-based IEA made the decision at an extraordinary meeting of energy ministers chaired by US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
She said in a statement that President Joe Biden approved a commitment of 30 million barrels and that the US is ready to “take additional measures” if needed. Russia plays an outsized role in global energy markets as the third-largest oil producer. Its exports of 5 million barrels of crude per day amount to about 12 per cent of the global oil trade. Some 60 per cent goes to Europe and another 20 per cent to China. – RUSSIA TODAY, THE BANGKOK POST,THE MALAY MAIL,PTI