Putin threatens West’s ‘densely populated territories’ with ‘grave consequences’ for allowing weapons sent to Ukraine to be used in strikes against Russia in latest veiled nuke threat from the Kremlin

James Reynolds – May 28, 2024

Vladimir Putin warned there will be ‘grave consequences’ if western countries give approval to Ukraine to use their weapons in strikes on Russian territory today.

‘In Europe, especially in small countries, they should be aware what they are playing with,’ the Russian president said during a visit to Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

‘They should remember that, as countries with small, densely populated territories… They should keep this in mind before talking about striking Russia.’

It comes just weeks after British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron faced backlash from the Kremlin over lifting restrictions on Ukraine using British-supplied weapons to fire into Russia.

With Moscow reopening its front in Kharkiv, allies to Kyiv have presented stark warnings to Putin, Poland among those refusing to rule out sending troops to face down its historic foe as it plans to field the biggest army in Europe by 2035.

The Kremlin has responded with threats of nuclear annihilation should Russia feel cornered, stressing repeatedly that its arsenal remains at ‘full combat readiness’.

With tensions ratcheting up in the east, Poland’s foreign minister said today the country should not exclude the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and should keep Putin in suspense over whether such a decision would ever be made.

‘We should not exclude any option. Let Putin be guessing as to what we will do,’ Sikorski said in an interview with the Gazeta Wyborcza daily when asked whether he would send Polish troops to Ukraine.

But a spokesperson for Poland’s Defense Ministry, Janusz Sejmej, told Polish media on Tuesday he had ‘no knowledge of that’ when asked about a report in Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine suggesting Poland might send troops to Ukraine.

The idea of sending foreign soldiers to Ukraine, which is battling Russian military aggression, was floated earlier this year in France, but no country, including Poland, has publicly embraced it.

France, a historic ally of Poland and fellow NATO member, has taken one of the strongest positions on directly intervening in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Earlier this month, President Emmanuel Macron echoed Sikorski’s sentiment, suggesting he would not be ‘ruling anything out’ – comments that experts said reflected a will to play Putin at his own game of ‘strategic ambiguity’.

‘Putin doesn’t take anything off the table; neither should we. And that includes sending troops, in whichever capacity that is feasible,’ Vlad Şutea, founder and lead analyst at early warning and threatcasting group T-Intelligence, told MailOnline.

‘Macron is one of the few Western European leaders to understand the value of strategic ambiguity,’ he said.

Putin said today he believed Western military instructors were already operating in Ukraine, operating undercover as mercenary fighters, when asked about comments by Ukraine’s top commander that discussions were being held on sending French military instructors to the country.

But increased rhetoric on the looming possibility of war has sparked fears of the invasion of Ukraine overspilling further West.

Under Article 5 of NATO’s constitutions, all members would have to respond in ‘collective defence’ if Putin were to attack any member.

Were one member to engage in direct conflict with Russia, there would be no obligation for other members to intervene, however.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today urged Western leaders to pressure Russia into peace by ‘all means’ necessary amid fears Kyiv lacks the weaponry needed to repel the invaders.

Speaking in Spain today, Zelenskyy said there needed to be a ‘tangible coercion’ of Moscow to ensure peace terms.

Claiming Russia was dropping 3,200 guided bombs on Ukraine each month, with the war now in its third year, he asked reporters: ‘How do you fight that?’

Zelenskyy has long maintained that he will not negotiate with Russia directly, while Russia claims to be open to talks.

These would likely involve the loss of recognised Ukrainian land.

Russian sources told Reuters last week that the Russian President was indeed willing and ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire that recognises the current battlefield lines – or fight on if the West does not respond.

‘Of course, we are aware that the legitimacy of the current head of state has ended,’ said Mr Putin, who has repeatedly stated that Russia is ready for talks with Ukraine.

‘We must be completely sure that we are dealing with legitimate authorities.’

Putin claimed Zelenskyy’s presidential term was supposed to end on May 20, seizing the opportunity to undermine his adversary.

Ukrainian legislation bans elections during martial law that has been in place since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.

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