Dmitry Medvedev

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev mentioned right this moment that Russia is just not bluffing when it talks about the potential of utilizing tactical nuclear weapons towards Ukraine and that its battle with the West might escalate right into a full-scale struggle.

In a put up on his official Telegram channel, Medvedev mentioned that Moscow’s battle with the West is creating in accordance with the worst attainable situation and that “nobody can rule out its escalation to the ultimate stage.”

The vice chairman of Russia’s Safety Council right this moment made the above remark after US officers instructed Reuters yesterday that US President Joe Biden had tacitly licensed Kiev to make use of US-supplied weapons towards navy targets inside Russia supporting an offensive towards the northeast. Ukrainian metropolis Kharkiv.

Zelensky signed a safety settlement with Sweden

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bilateral safety cope with Sweden right this moment, one in every of three deliberate to be signed with Nordic international locations as he seeks additional navy help from the West within the struggle towards Russia.

The announcement comes as Western international locations debate whether or not to permit Ukraine to make use of Western weapons to hit navy targets inside Russia, that are backing an offensive towards the northeastern Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv.

“You possibly can see that Russia is attempting to broaden the struggle … Solely collectively can we cease the insanity from Moscow,” Zelensky mentioned as he signed the settlement, the thirteenth such deal Kiev has signed with a Western nation.

Zelensky mentioned he would signal extra bilateral agreements with Norway and Iceland right this moment.

Zelensky can also be assembly with the prime ministers of Sweden, Denmark, in addition to the president of Finland – all NATO international locations and staunch supporters of Ukraine.

“It bears saying repeatedly, that you’re actually combating not solely on your personal freedom, however for our freedom and safety. This is the reason supporting Ukraine is such a elementary, existential difficulty for Sweden and all different Nordic international locations,” mentioned Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson.

Denmark and Finland have already signed ten-year safety offers with Ukraine in February and April respectively.

Earlier within the month, Sweden introduced it had agreed to a further $7.9 billion in navy support to Ukraine over three years, whereas Norway has been negotiating a bilateral safety cope with Kiev in latest weeks.

The leaders may also talk about how the Nordic international locations can enhance their ammunition manufacturing and assist increase Ukrainian arms manufacturing, the Danish prime minister’s workplace mentioned in a press release.

Biden gave Ukraine permission to make use of US weapons to assault Russia

US President Joe Biden has tacitly licensed Ukraine to make use of US weapons techniques in assaults towards Russian border areas, however solely close to the Kharkiv area, in accordance with a Politico report citing a US official and two unnamed well-informed sources.

“The president not too long ago requested his workers to make sure that Ukraine is ready to use US weapons techniques for counteroffensive functions”… In order that Ukrainian forces “can strike again at Russian forces which are attacking or making ready to assault them” , the US official instructed Politico, arguing that Washington’s stance on the authorization of strikes inside Russian territory “hasn’t modified.”

The Politico report didn’t specify when the US president licensed Ukraine to make use of US weapons techniques to launch assaults towards Russian soil.

Orban: NATO is getting nearer to a struggle each week

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán right this moment likened NATO’s plans to get extra concerned within the struggle in Ukraine to a firefighter attempting to place out a fireplace with a flamethrower.

Orban, who has cultivated relations with Moscow, is at odds with Western international locations over help for Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor greater than two years in the past.

NATO is “coming nearer to a struggle” each week, Orban mentioned because the alliance’s overseas ministers meet in Prague to debate navy support to Ukraine.

NATO Secretary Basic Jens Stoltenberg mentioned yesterday, Thursday, that “the time has come” for the member states of the alliance to evaluation a number of the restrictions related to the usage of the weapons they supply to Ukraine.

As Ukrainian leaders name on governments to ease restrictions, Western international locations have appeared more and more divided in latest weeks over whether or not Ukraine ought to be allowed to strike targets on Russian soil with weapons it provides.

Hungary’s overseas minister mentioned earlier this month that his NATO-member nation wouldn’t take part within the alliance’s long-term plan to offer support to Ukraine, which Budapest has labeled a “mad mission.”

EU overseas ministers on Monday referred to as on Hungary to cease blocking measures to offer billions of euros in navy support to Ukraine as tensions boiled over with Budapest throughout a gathering.

Orban additionally mentioned right this moment that negotiations over sending French navy trainers to Ukraine and permitting the Ukrainian navy to make use of Western weapons to assault targets in Russia are “worrying” and convey NATO nearer to struggle.

A NATO mission in Ukraine would create the chance of a world struggle as a substitute of defending the alliance’s member states, Orbán careworn.

“It’s absurd for NATO, as a substitute of defending us, to tug us, a member state, right into a world struggle. That is as absurd as a fireman deciding to go put out a fireplace with a flamethrower,” Orbán instructed Hungarian state radio.

Relations between Budapest and NATO have soured over Hungary’s delay in ratifying Sweden’s accession to the alliance – lastly adopted by Budapest in March – and likewise over nationalist Orban’s heat relations with Moscow regardless of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.