Russia‘s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov issued a stark warning during his address at the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, cautioning against attempts to achieve victory against a nuclear power like Russia.
His speech, delivered three days after President Vladimir Putin hinted at a shift in Russia’s nuclear strategy, was filled with accusations aimed at the West, particularly over its involvement in Ukraine.
Lavrov said, “I’m not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is.”
Lavrov dismissed Zelenskyy’s peace formula, which includes expelling all Russian forces from Ukraine, ensuring accountability for war crimes, and freeing prisoners of war and deportees, as a “doomed ultimatum.”
The threat of nuclear confrontation has loomed over the war in Ukraine since its beginning, with Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasising Russia’s nuclear capabilities and placing its nuclear forces on high alert shortly after the invasion.
Putin recently declared that an attack by any country supported by a nuclear-armed nation would be considered a joint attack, potentially warranting a nuclear response if it posed a critical threat to Russia’s sovereignty.
The United States and the European Union deemed these statements “irresponsible.”
The new stance is seen as a message to the US and other Western countries as Ukraine seeks permission to strike Russia with longer-range weapons.
The Biden administration recently announced an additional $2.7 billion in military aid for Ukraine but did not include the long-range arms that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking or permission to use such weapons to strike deep into Russia.
The conflict, which began with Russia invading Ukraine in February 2022, continues with Russia making slow but steady gains in Ukraine’s east, while Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russian territory with missiles and drones.