Drone footage shows scale of destruction in Odesa after Russian strike
The threat of Vladimir Putin using tactical nuclear weapons is “real”, US president Joe Biden said as the war in Ukraine inches closer to 500 days.
“When I was out here about two years ago saying I worried about the Colorado river drying up, everybody looked at me like I was crazy,” Mr Biden said in California.
“They looked at me like when I said I worry about Putin using tactical nuclear weapons. It’s real.”
Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, Russia’s staunch ally in the continuing invasion of Ukraine, confirmed delivery of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons in his country last week, claiming that some of the nukes were three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the US dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
This is Russia’s first such deployment of warheads, of shorter-range and less powerful nuclear weapons that can be used in a war, outside its borders since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Threat of Putin using tactical nuclear weapons is ‘real’, warns Biden
The threat of Russian president Vladimir Putin using tactical nuclear weapons is “real”, his US counterpart Joe Biden said, days after denouncing Russia’s deployment of such weapons in Belarus.
“When I was out here about two years ago saying I worried about the Colorado river drying up, everybody looked at me like I was crazy,” Biden told a group of donors in California on Monday.
“They looked at me like when I said I worry about Putin using tactical nuclear weapons. It’s real,” Biden said.
Mr Biden had termed Mr Putin’s announcement that Russia had deployed its first tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus “absolutely irresponsible” last week.
This comes as Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko said his country has started taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons, some of which he said were three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the US dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Arpan Rai20 June 2023 03:44
‘I delayed invasion of Ukraine by several years,’ claims Donald Trump
Former US president Donald Trump has claimed he delayed Russia’s invasion by several years after he told the Russian president: “Don’t do it.”
Mr Trump also claimed if he had remained in office, Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine.
“I have a very good relationship with Putin. I mean, I haven’t talked to him for a long time, but I have a very strong relationship with Putin,” the former president said.
He added: “Look, I talked to him. I said, if you do it, there’s going to be hell to pay. It’s going to be a catastrophe. Don’t do it.”
Donald Trump previously claimed he would have ended the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours.
Martha Mchardy20 June 2023 11:55
Kremlin says it sees scant grounds for Ukraine peace talks after African mission
Russia sees scant chance of peace talks with Ukraine due to Kyiv’s stance on the issue despite constructive efforts by an African peace mission, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
Russian president Vladimir Putin had held “very productive” talks with African leaders on Saturday and remained open to dialogue and contacts on Ukraine, said Peskov.
But he told reporters that what he called the history of Kyiv’s position meant “one can hardly talk about stable grounds” for peace negotiations.
Martha Mchardy20 June 2023 11:47
Russia jails dual national for fighting for Ukraine
A Russian court has sentenced a dual Ukrainian-Russian national to 16 years in prison on terrorism-linked charges for fighting alongside Kyiv’s forces in Ukraine.
Denis Muryga was accused by a Russian military court of fighting as part of Ukraine’s Aidar battalion, Russian news agencies reported.
Muryga joined the Ukrainian force in 2015, according to investigators.
He was accused of blowing up a bridge in Russian-controlled Luhansk, which “led to the death of people”.
RIA Novosti reported: “The defendant fully admitted his guilt and repented. During the debate on the case, the prosecutor asked the court to appoint him 18 years in a penal colony with a strict regime, the lawyer asked him for a minimum term.”
Martha Mchardy20 June 2023 11:44
Kyiv in talks with Western weapons makers about setting up production in Ukraine
Ukraine is in negotiations with western arms manufacturers to boost production of weapons, Reuters reported.
Sergiy Boyev, deputy minister for Strategic Industries in Ukraine said: “We are in very detailed discussions with them. And we are certain that we…
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