A few days ago, U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin said that if Ukraine is defeated, it may lead to a "direct military conflict" between NATO and Russia.
"Every day we see Russian forces continue to advance and gradually occupy more territory," Austin noted during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee of the U.S. Congress on Thursday (February 29). This is very disturbing. Without our support, the Ukrainians will be at a disadvantage in terms of artillery and will be in a dangerous situation due to the lack of corresponding anti-missile systems. ”
After Austin's remarks, Russian spokeswoman Zakharova wrote on her Telegram account, "Is this a direct threat to Russia, or is it an attempt to make excuses for Zelensky?" Both are crazy. But now everyone knows who the aggressor is, and that is Washington. ”
Austin) In fact, this is not the first time that NATO countries have taken a position or gone to war with Russia. Not long ago, France's Macron said that he might send troops to Ukraine, which caused shockwaves among European allies, but Macron said again on February 29 that all his remarks were well thought out.
Singapore's "Lianhe Zaobao" quoted French media as reporting that Macron said: "These are serious enough issues, and every word I say on this (Russia-Ukraine) issue has been weighed, deliberated and measured." ”
Most of Macron's European allies have shown that they will not send troops to Ukraine. France** insisted that any such force could be sent to support operations such as demining, rather than fighting the Russian army.
Russia** Putin delivered a state of the nation address on February 29, which lasted more than two hours, talking about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, relations between Russia and the West, and Russia's economic and social development.
Beijing's "Global Times" reported that in his 2-hour and 6-minute State of the Union address, Putin first introduced the situation of Russia's special military operation against Ukraine. Putin said that Russia's special military operation is supported by the overwhelming majority of Russians, and Russia is fighting for its sovereignty and security. Russia does not provoke the conflict, but will do everything to end it and achieve the full goals of the special military operation.
Putin) The combat capability of the Russian Armed Forces has grown exponentially, and our troops are firmly taking the initiative and steadily advancing in a range of operational directions. At the end of his speech, Putin expressed confidence in Russia's victory and thanked the Russian people for maintaining their unity. In his opinion, the future of Russia "largely depends on the courage and determination of the participants in the special military operation."
French media reported that Putin also warned the West in his speech that any country that dares to send troops to Ukraine will face tragic consequences. "They should eventually realize that we also have the ** that can hit targets within their borders. Everything that the West proposes will create a real threat that would trigger a nuclear conflict, thus destroying civilization. ”
Putin also said that Moscow is ready for a dialogue with the United States on issues of strategic stability, but refuses to accept any attempt to force Russia to negotiate. Russia's strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full combat readiness and can be guaranteed to be used.