Russian state television has issued a chilling nuclear threat to the West if NATO sends peacekeepers to Ukraine, warning that World War Three could be on the horizon.
Moscow’s tightly controlled state television went into propaganda overdrive today, warning alliance leaders meeting in Brussels against sending troops into Ukraine, even if they were there to keep the peace.
These ominous threats come four weeks into Russia’s invasion, as Putin’s forces continue to bombard countless Ukrainian cities with air raids, but Kyiv’s resistance remains strong.
Moscow continues to conceal the extent of its losses in the war, with the official death toll remaining unchanged for weeks.
The Kremlin’s mouthpieces on state TV issued blunt, unequivocal warnings, fearing that Poland would seek a NATO mandate for peacekeepers.
They also claimed that Poland would seek a land grab in order to reclaim Ukrainian territory that was once part of Poland, such as the city of Lviv.
Vyacheslav Nikonov, a TV host, claimed that Russian truck drivers stranded on the border had spotted “an accumulation of American and Polish troops.”
“As for me, Poland strives not only to fulfil a peacekeeping mission, but also to stake out the territories that they believe historically belong to them.”
“If NATO members send peacekeepers to Ukraine,” Olga Skabeyeva, host of the state-owned Rossiya 1 show 60 Minutes, said.
“They must understand that this will be a direct clash between Russia’s and NATO’s armed forces.”
“And it’s probably not worth explaining how this collision will end… This is known as World War Three.”
Despite threats to escalate the conflict, Russia’s invasion continues to stall and stutter in the face of logistical and morale issues, as well as massive Ukrainian resistance.
According to early reports, the Kremlin planned a “lightning invasion” of Ukraine that would last several days.
Other Kremlin-controlled shows echoed Russia’s threats. Colonel Yury Knutov of Channel 1 made the same claims.
“If there are any rational people left in NATO, they will not approve [a peacekeeping] operation [in Ukraine,” he said.
“Why? Because [a collective] NATO decision will be interpreted as a de facto declaration of war on Russia… this would be a Casus belli, or war between Russia and NATO.
“Whether we like it or not, we will have to use tactical nuclear weapons in the theatre of operations to win this war.”
“This will then necessitate the use of powerful strategic nuclear weapons… implying global nuclear war.”
Russia’s state television outlet also warned that the same outcome would occur if Poland acted independently, rather than under NATO’s auspices.
Throughout its failed invasion of Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly threatened western intervention.
In addition to the invasion not going as planned, The Financial Times and The Washington Post report that Russia has been begging China for military equipment and financial assistance to help it avoid sanctions since the invasion began on February 24.
China, along with India, is one of the few countries that has yet to condemn Putin’s bloody invasion of Ukraine.
Veteran Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov, the butcher of Chechnya, told Channel 1 that Putin should secure Ukraine’s western border with Poland.
“The time has come for our leadership to say very clearly – these are the borders,” said the MP and recipient of Russia’s highest honour, the Hero of Russia.
“And don’t you Poles dare to poke even 10 metres in here.” You’ll be hit with the full force of our Kalibr [cruise missiles] right away.
“And with the full force of artillery and aviation.” This is not a nuclear weapon, but rather a conventional one. And then the lauded Polish army will run back to Warsaw, knees high.”
He said the Poles would be defeated “completely” if they attempted to interfere with Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
