Bill Jones - EIRNS
On a day when numerous warnings have been issued by various
entities of the Russian government, including President Vladimir Putin
himself, based on clear reporting from the Russian Foreign Intelligence
Service that there were preparations by the “Coalition of the Willing”
for providing nuclear weapons to Ukraine for use against Russia, a move
that would clearly trigger a nuclear response from Russia, Foreign
Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova sent out an 11th-hour message late
in the day, calling on the forces of reason in the West to act quickly
to prevent bringing this conflict to the nuclear level.
In her
statement, Zakharova said: “These reported plans fall upon fertile
ground. Evidence of Kiev’s nuclear ambitions is plentiful. One need only
recall Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s remarks at the 2022 Munich Security
Conference, in which he expressed readiness to reconsider Ukraine’s
non-nuclear status, as well as his subsequent, equally provocative
statements on the matter. There has also been no shortage of speculation
among Ukrainian deputies and officials of various stripes regarding the
restitution of nuclear weapons to Ukraine—weapons from which the
country allegedly ‘recklessly’ abstained upon joining the NPT—or the
deployment of American nuclear arms on Ukrainian soil.
“Russia’s
position on this matter is unwavering and unequivocal. We have
repeatedly stated that any attempts to revisit Ukraine’s non-nuclear
status, let alone to enable the deeply anti-Russian Kiev regime to
obtain nuclear weapons, are categorically unacceptable. Any steps taken
to assist Kiev in acquiring military nuclear capabilities will be
interpreted by us as an attempt to pose a direct and critical threat to
our nation’s security—and will inevitably be met with a resolute
response. Against the backdrop of anti-Russian rhetoric and actions by
certain European leaders, who continue to stoke the West-provoked
confrontation surrounding the Ukrainian crisis, we once again warn of
the risks of direct military conflict between nuclear powers—and,
consequently, of its potentially catastrophic consequences.
“London
and Paris are nurturing these perilous plans ahead of the NPT Review
Conference, scheduled for April this year. We are convinced that
participating states must accord the gravest attention to this egregious
development, given its direct bearing on the Treaty’s functioning and
integrity,” she stated.
In conclusion she called on the sane
elements in the West to react quickly: “We have immediately launched
vigorous efforts on this issue across relevant multilateral platforms,
urging participants and the leadership of pertinent international
organizations to impress upon British and French authorities—now carried
away by anti-Russian fervor—the need for restraint. The repercussions
of this reckless course threaten far more than just Russia’s security.”