Russia’s foreign minister has issued a chilling challenge, claiming Russia is ready to fight the West on the battleground over Ukraine.
In recent days the Kremlin’s army began a new ground assault against Kharkiv, the second largest city in the war torn nation, in a bid to open a new front in the two-year-plus invasion. Russian armoured vehicles attempted to force through the defence lines as the conflict continues to rage.
Now, Russian defence minister Sergei Lavrov has issued yet another warning to governments in the West who are calling for an end to the armed conflict. Local publication RIA Novosti quoted Lavrov as saying: “If the West wants to fight for Ukraine on the battlefield, Russia is prepared for it. It's their right - if they want it to be on the battlefield, it will be on the battlefield.”
Last year the Russian foreign minister was laughed at by an audience at an international conference when he claimed the Ukraine war was "launched against us". Laughter and groans erupted from the crowd at the G20 Summit in New Delhi when Sergei Lavrov claimed Russia was the victim of the war in Ukraine. The elderly Russian minister was given pause after members of the incredulous crowd interrupted his talk as he addressed an audience following a G20 foreign ministers' meeting. One voice at the conference shouted: "Come on!"
Today’s quotes come as Vladimir Putin's 'trigger' for nuclear war was revealed as the Russian leader gave his clearest indication yet of what could provoke a nuclear conflict with NATO. Putin has repeatedly threatened to unleash nuclear Armageddon on the West due to its ongoing support for Ukraine's military.
The Kremlin and its propagandists have regularly issued threatening statements in an attempt to intimidate Western governments. One particular weapon seems to be causing sleepless nights for the Kremlin despot, pushing him towards increasingly desperate measures. Last week, Kyiv announced its airforce was expecting the imminent arrival of F-16 fighter jets. Ilya Yevlash, a spokesperson for Ukraine's air force, stated that the F-16s could be deployed immediately after Orthodox Easter on May 5.
Several European countries - including Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium - have committed to supplying the Lockheed Martin-made jets to Ukraine . The F-16s represent a significant upgrade from Ukraine's fleet of Soviet-era aircraft, which includes Su-24s, Su-25s, Su-27s, and MiG-29s.