In dealing with nuclear power, a top Russian diplomat says “You have to calculate all possible outcomes”. This comes as a warning to NATO when dealing with Moscow which sits at the largest collection of nuclear arsenals.
“If Russia is provoked by NATO, if Russia is attacked by NATO I don’t know … we are a nuclear power, why not?” Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Dmitry Polyanskiy said.
He was asked if it was a legitimate threat, he answered that it must be considered. “I don’t think it’s the right thing to be saying but it’s not a right thing to threaten Russia and to try to interfere. So when you’re dealing with a nuclear power of course you have to calculate all the possible outcomes of your behavior.”
A previous statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s chief spokesman refused to rule out the use of nuclear weapons. Especially if Moscow deems it as an “existential threat”.
The US government formally declared that members of the Russian armed forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine. These are based on “credible reports” of the deliberate targeting of civilians. The indiscriminate attacks have led to the destruction of civilian infrastructures like schools and hospitals.
Russian diplomat Polyanskiy denied that Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine.
“Of course, it’s not up to me to assess — I’m not there, you’re not there, you’re looking at the videos, you’re looking at many videos considered to be fake news,” he told Sky News.
Civilians still in the city of Mariupol have been without water, power, and food, and describe bodies left in the street because it is too dangerous to collect them. Zelensky has said the sustained Russian attack on Mariupol is an “act of terror” that will be “remembered for centuries.”