Depleted uranium bullets, Moscow: “Humanity is being led to Armageddon”
“Western countries led by the United States have decided to bring humanity to the brink of nuclear Armageddon.” Thus the Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, responded to the comments made by the US administration on depleted uranium.
Yesterday the White House branded Moscow’s complaints about the shipment of depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine, announced last Monday by the United Kingdom, as “specious”. According to Washington, the ammunition would be weapons that have been used for decades and would not present any high risk. Russia also has ammunition of this kind, which has long been the focus of controversy over the legality of their use in past war scenarios, from the former Yugoslavia to Iraq. Thanks to their density, they ensure a greater ability to penetrate the armor of enemy tanks.
“Commenting on this kind of nonsense is really difficult. The US authorities have reached a new low point with their irresponsible statements,” Antonov said, according to the Tass news agency.
In recent days, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had declared that with these new supplies the “nuclear collision” between Russia and the West is now “one step away”, while Vladimir Putin, speaking alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping, had promised that Moscow it will “react” to their sending.
Even former Russian president Dmitri Medvedev today used harsh words against the West, commenting in this case on the international arrest warrant against Putin. According to Medvedev, currently vice president of the Russian Security Council, a possible arrest of Putin would be tantamount to “declaring war” on Moscow. “Let’s imagine the thing (…): the head of state of a nuclear power goes to say, for example, Germany and is arrested. What’s this? A declaration of war on Russia,” Medvedev said, fearing the bombing of Berlin. “All our capabilities, missiles and so on, would fall to the Bundestag, the chancellor’s office and so on.”
Earlier this week, Medvedev had already threatened the International Criminal Court with a rocket attack, urging his magistrates to “look carefully at the sky”. Russia, which does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, has described the arrest warrant against Putin as “null and invalid”. Yesterday the CPI denounced the “threats” launched by Moscow against him, after the Russian justice announced that it was opening a criminal investigation against several of its judges and his prosecutor, Karim Khan.
