Russia’s Lavrov Warns a Third World War Would Be ‘Devastating’ and ‘Nuclear’

 

Biden has ruled out sending troops to Ukraine, but there are other tripwires that can spark a direct conflict between the US and Russia

by Dave DeCamp 

Posted onMarch 2, 2022CategoriesNewsTagsRussia, Ukraine

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that if a third world war breaks out, it will be “a devastating nuclear war.”

The warning from Lavrov came as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continued for the seventh day. On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s nuclear forces to be put on “special” alert. Announcing his decision, Putin cited sanctions and other threats from NATO countries.

Together, the US and Russia have 90% of the world’s nuclear warheads, and a direct conflict between the two powers could quickly spiral into a nuclear war. President Biden has said repeatedly that he won’t send troops into Ukraine to fight Russia, but at the same time, the US and NATO are pouring weapons into Ukraine and are working to crush Russia’s economy.

The Western arms shipments risk sparking a conflict with Russia since it’s possible Moscow could target the deliveries. The US and NATO are also bolstering their forces in Eastern Europe, putting troops near the borders of Russia and Ukraine, making a miscalculation more likely.

Ukrainian officials continue to call for the US to impose a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine even though the White House has already ruled out the idea. Enforcing a no-fly zone would mean US planes would have to shoot down Russian ones and target Russia’s air defenses. But at this point, only the most rabid hawks in Washington are in favor of the no-fly zone.

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/03/02/russias-lavrov-warns-a-third-world-war-would-be-devastating-and-nuclear/