Against the backdrop of the issue that erupted yesterday about Britain’s endeavor to supply Ukraine with penetrating missiles containing depleted uranium, the Russian Foreign Ministry once again raised the specter of a nuclear conflict.
And Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned today, Wednesday, that the possibility of a nuclear conflict is now much greater than ever before.
New Start Resume
He also considered that “there is no way at the present time to hold talks with the United States regarding the resumption of the New START Treaty,” which the Kremlin officially announced its suspension on March 1, according to what was reported by the Russian “RIA” agency. He believed that his country is currently in an actual conflict with America.
And Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in turn, warned earlier today that the Russian-Western conflict, especially the British one, might move to a dangerous stage if London proceeded with its plans to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium missiles.
(expressive from iStock)
He also hinted that his country would, in that case, be forced to respond in line with its nuclear doctrine.
These escalatory positions came after the British Secretary of State for Defense, Annabelle Goldie, said yesterday that her country is seeking to transfer uranium ammunition to Kiev, as part of its efforts to provide “Challenger 2” combat tanks and “armor-piercing missiles.”
However, the British Foreign Ministry reaffirmed that this step does not constitute a nuclear escalation at all, and the Ministry of Defense clarified that the British army had used depleted uranium in armor-piercing missiles for decades, stressing that these missiles had nothing to do with the nuclear issue.
Depleted uranium is usually used in munitions designed to penetrate armor, because it becomes sharper on impact with the target, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. It is also “less radioactive than natural uranium”.
