Putin threatens NATO with nukes

 CNN:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned there is a “serious danger” of NATO being drawn further into the Ukraine war if members of the alliance continue to supply military weaponry to Kyiv.

“NATO, of course, is being drawn into the war in Ukraine, what are we talking here,” Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday.

“The supplies of heavy military weaponry to Ukraine are ongoing, they are now looking into giving Ukraine the jets.”

The comment appeared to be a reference to the F-16 fighter jets some members of the NATO alliance are making plans to supply Ukraine with.

NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was formed in the aftermath of World War II to defend Western nations from the Soviet Union and the alliance contains a mutual defense clause where an attack on any one member is considered an attack on all. While Ukraine is not a member of NATO, some NATO members have been supplying Kyiv with tanks, armored vehicles and other weaponry – prompting threats of retaliation from Russia.

German Leopard 2 tanks, British Challenger 2 tanks and American Bradley and Stryker vehicles are among the Western equipment that has been sent to Ukraine.

In late April, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO allies and partners had delivered more than 1,500 vehicles and 230 tanks to the country.

During his speech in St. Petersburg, Putin said Russia had destroyed tanks “including Leopards” at the front lines.

“And if they are based abroad, but used in fighting we’ll see how to hit them, and where we can hit those means that are used against us in fighting,” Putin said.

“This is a serious danger of further drawing NATO into this military conflict,” he added.

During his speech to the forum, Putin also suggested Russia’s large number of nuclear weapons would “guarantee” its security – noting that Russia had more such weapons than NATO countries.

Russia has a total stockpile of around 6,250 nuclear warheads as of January 2021, according to the Arms Control Association. The US has more than 5,500 while two other NATO member states, Britain and France, have about 220 and 290 nuclear warheads, respectively.
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 Russia has experienced significant losses of its conventional military assets since Putin started his unnecessary war in Ukraine.  It has lost over 2000 tanks as well as other mechanized forces and has been running short of artillery ammo.  Russia has actually been putting conventional warheads on some of its older nuclear missiles.  Putin started this war on the premise that he was concerned about Ukraine becoming a part of NATO.  The war has actually made it more likely that Ukraine will become a part of NATO.

If the war did evolve into a nuclear exchange, the number of nukes would not be the deciding factor.  What would be more important would be the number and effectiveness of each side's missile defense systems.

A group of African countries have suggested a peace plan for the war as reported by ISW.

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The Kremlin will likely exploit this proposal to promote Russian information operations aiming to slow Western security assistance to Ukraine and has not demonstrated any intent to engage with any peace process meaningfully. ISW has previously assessed that the Kremlin has routinely signaled a false willingness to negotiate a settlement to the war to prompt Western concessions and dissuade Western officials from sending further support to Ukraine.[15] The Kremlin previously intensified this effort to set conditions for its winter-spring 2023 offensive and is likely reamplifying this information operation in an effort to weaken Western support for Ukraine during counteroffensive operations.[16] The Kremlin also used the equally vague peace plan presented by China in the spring of 2023 to amplify this information operation and has not yet attempted to expound upon the broad suggestions in that plan.[17] The Kremlin instead attempted to use stated Chinese interest in negotiating a settlement to the war in Ukraine to pursue desired closer ties with China.[18] The Kremlin will likely use the outreach by these African states to pursue strengthened bilateral and multilateral engagement.
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Putin's war in Ukraine has always been about his attempt to restore the Soviet Union and expand Russian territory and hegemony.   The war has been a conventional disaster for Russia's military and it cannot be salvaged with a nuclear exchange.

See, also:

Russian forces blocked rescue efforts after Kakhovka HPP attack – Amnesty International

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"The occupying Russian forces have displayed a callous disregard for human life and human dignity by manifestly focusing almost exclusively on their own security needs," said Amnesty International’s Regional Researcher Anna Wright.

“Their failing to undertake an organized evacuation, blocking volunteers’ efforts to support civilians affected by the floods and taking evacuees without Russian passports through ‘filtration’ violate their obligations as the occupying power and endanger lives.”

The organization, citing residents of occupied Oleshky, reports that after several families moved to a hill and were stuck there for at least two days, "instead of evacuating them placed armed personnel around this makeshift island’s periphery."
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And:

Russian units in Kherson Oblast and Crimea, stricken in cholera outbreak, ‘losing combat effectiveness’

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The latest information reveals that numerous occupiers with suspected cases of cholera are being admitted to military hospitals on a daily basis.

“The targeted units along the Kherson direction, positioned along the North-Crimean Canal, are losing their operational capabilities and are being evacuated to the rear for treatment,” the message reads.

It is known that several military personnel have already died. The cholera epidemic most likely arose due to the Russians using water from open sources. It is noted that they are facing difficulties in obtaining bottled or purified water.
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And:

 Attack helicopters are giving Russia the edge in the skies over southern Ukraine, says UK intel

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According to the latest UK Ministry of Defence briefing, Russian troops have reinforced its attack helicopter forces, allowing them to gain "a temporary advantage in southern Ukraine, especially with attack helicopters employing longer-range missiles against ground targets."
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And:

 Canada just seized one of Russia's dwindling supply of massive heavy-lift cargo planes