27th April, 2022
U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed sharp criticism, on Tuesday, of a warning from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov regarding a pending World War III and the possible use of nuclear weapons.
“You’ve heard us say a number of times that that kind of rhetoric is very dangerous and unhelpful,” Austin said following an international conference on supplying weapons to Ukraine held at the U.S. air base in Ramstein, Germany.
“Nobody wants to see a nuclear war happen. Dangerous rhetoric is clearly unhelpful. And something that we won’t engage in,” he added.
Speaking on Monday, Lavrov said the danger was real and should not be underestimated.
He compared the current situation to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
After the Ramstein meeting that drew in some 40 countries, Austin said that an international contact group to support Ukraine’s military would meet on a monthly basis in the future.
“The contact group will be a vehicle for nations of goodwill to intensify efforts, coordinate assistance and focus on winning today’s fight and the struggles to come,” he said.
The goal was to provide long-term military support to Ukraine beyond the current crisis.
The situation remained dire in Ukraine on Tuesday, with officials reporting multiple dead and wounded across the country due to continuing Russian attacks.
The Russian military claimed it had captured the entire southern region of Kherson and made territorial gains in eastern areas.
It also said it had destroyed four Ukrainian ammunition depots in the Slovyansk area through airstrikes.
According to the Ukrainian account on Tuesday evening, there has been little change in Russian attacks or gains in eastern Ukraine.
Dpa/NAN