New weapons for Kyiv will trigger ‘world disaster’, warns Putin ally
A detailed ally of President Vladimir Putin stated on Sunday that delivering offensive weapons to Kyiv will result in a world catastrophe by making arguments towards utilizing nuclear weapons untenable.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Duma — Russia’s decrease home of parliament — warned that US and NATO help of Ukraine is pushing the world to a “terrible war”.
He singled out the supply of longer vary weapons that would hit Russian territory.
“If Washington and NATO countries supply weapons that will be used to strike civilian cities and attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten, this will lead to retaliatory measures using more powerful weapons,” Volodin stated on Telegram.
“Arguments that the nuclear powers have not previously used weapons of mass destruction in local conflicts are untenable. Because these states did not face a situation where there was a threat to the security of their citizens and the territorial integrity of the country.”
Volodin, 58, has been the Duma speaker since 2016, having beforehand held a senior position within the presidential administration. As a member of Putin’s Security Council, he has common entry to the president.
“Deliveries of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime will lead to a global catastrophe,” he stated.
Ukraine defence ministry denies corruption prices
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense denied signing army contracts at inflated costs on Sunday, rejecting accusations of corruption in a rustic the place embezzlement is rife.
The remark follows media experiences in Ukraine accusing the ministry of agreeing to contracts for supplying meals to troopers on the entrance line at “two to three” occasions the conventional value.
The contract in query quantities to €320 million for 2023, in accordance with the ZN.UA information web site.
“The ministry purchases relevant products in accordance with procedures established by law,” stated the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, dismissing the allegations as “false”.
It claimed the experiences had been “deliberate manipulation”, warning that it might open an investigation into the “dissemination” of “misleading” info, which “harms the interests of defence during a special period”.
The ministry claimed it confirmed “zero tolerance towards corruption”, including “checks are carried out” earlier than contracts are signed.
An “emergency meeting” at the ministry is about to be held on Monday so as to make clear the difficulty and see if any officers have damaged the foundations.
In one other scandal this weekend, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) arrested the First Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development on Saturday on suspicion of embezzlement.
Vasyl Lozynkiï allegedly acquired €370,000 to “facilitate the conclusion of contracts for the purchase of equipment and generators at inflated prices”, stated the NABU in a press launch.
Berlin’s angle in the direction of Ukraine conflict ‘unacceptable’, slams Poland
Poland’s prime minister slammed Berlin’s refusal to provide Kyiv with heavy tanks as “unacceptable” on Sunday, particularly at a time when Russia is on the offensive.
“Germany’s attitude is unacceptable,” Mateusz Morawiecki instructed PAP information company. “It has been almost a year since the war started. Innocent people are dying every day. Russian bombs are wreaking havoc in Ukrainian cities. Civilian objects are attacked, women and children are murdered.”
His assertion comes two days after a gathering of fifty nations at the Ramstein airbase in Germany.
Ukraine’s allies introduced substantial new arms deliveries to Ukraine however did not agree on the supply of heavy tanks, regardless of repeated requests from Kyiv.
The Polish Prime Minister stated he was ready for “a clear declaration” from Berlin to authorise the export of Leopard 2 battle tanks.
Warsaw, like many different nations in Europe, has the German-made tank, however it should first search Berlin’s approval to ship them beneath licensing agreements.
Poland has stated it is able to ship 14 Leopards to Kyiv and indicated it’s in dialogue with fifteen different nations on the subject.
If Berlin refuses to provide Kyiv, “we will put together a small coalition of countries ready to donate some of their modern equipment, their modern tanks,” stated Morawiecki.
UK pushes for Ukraine to get its tank desires fulfilled
Britain nonetheless needs a world deal to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks, which Kyiv says it must defeat Russia, the nation’s international minister James Cleverly stated on Sunday.
The tanks are seen by defence specialists as essentially the most appropriate for Ukraine.
“Of course, I would like to see the Ukrainians equipped with things like the Leopard 2 as well as the artillery systems that have been provided by us and by others,” Cleverly stated in an interview with Sky News.
“I will keep having those conversations with our NATO allies and friends, to facilitate the donation of the best military equipment to Ukraine to help them defend themselves against this brutal invasion.”
Asked whether or not Germany was doing sufficient to assist Ukraine, Cleverly stated he needed to see “everybody going as far as they can, but each country will support Ukraine in a way that is most appropriate to them.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrat celebration is historically sceptical of army involvements and cautious of additional escalation within the battle in Ukraine.
The Kremlin’s spokesman stated on Friday that Western nations supplying extra tanks to Ukraine wouldn’t change the course of the battle and that they’d add to the issues of the Ukrainian folks.