Russia warns West of its 'nuclear prowess' at UN, says Europe plans to throw itself in 'suicidal escapade'

In a fiery speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned the West that they are “trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power” as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continues to escalate. The speech from the Russian diplomat was packed with condemnation of what Russia sees as “Western machinations” in Ukraine and even in the UN.

Lavrov’s warning came just three days after Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted at the country’s shift in nuclear doctrine. During his address on Saturday, Lavrov accused the West of using Ukraine as a “tool to try to defeat” Moscow and “preparing Europe for it to also throw itself into this suicidal escapade.”

“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,” the Russian diplomat averred.

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Russia boasts about its nuclear prowess 

It is pertinent to note that Putin’s recent announcement and Lavrov’s address came at a time when Ukraine is seeking help from the West to launch long-range weapons into Russian territory. The surprise Kursk invasion by Ukraine in recent months also did not sit well with the Kremlin.

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and announced an additional $2.7 billion in military aid for Ukraine. However, this did not include permission to use the type of long-range arms that Zelenskyy was seeking.

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“Whether or not they will provide the permission for Ukraine for long-range weapons, then we will see what their understanding was of what they heard,” Lavrov said at a news conference following his speech on Saturday. On Wednesday, Putin stated that if attacked by any country supported by a nuclear-armed nation, Russia would consider it a “joint attack”.

However, he did not specify whether that would bring a nuclear response, but he stressed that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional assault that posed a “critical threat to our sovereignty.” Soon after the warning, the United States and the European Union referred to Putin’s statement as “irresponsible”.