UK Junks Lavrov Claim Russia May Use Nukes In Ukraine

Britain's armed forces minister played down Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov’s threat that Moscow may use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine-Russia war, tagging it as "bravado," Kylie MacLellan reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: Asked about the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons, the UK's armed forces minister James Heappey said he thought there was a "vanishingly small" possibility of that escalation.

Earlier, Lavrov said the world must not underestimate the risks of nuclear conflict, adding that NATO's supply of weapons to Ukraine "in essence" meant that the West was engaged in a proxy war with Russia.

"Lavrov's trademark over the course of 15 years or so that he has been the Russian foreign secretary has been that sort of bravado. I don't think that right now there is an imminent threat of escalation," James Heappey told BBC Television.

"What the West is doing to support its allies in Ukraine is very well-calibrated." Russia caused the war that it is now losing terribly.

Asked about the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons, Heappey said he thought there was a "vanishingly small" possibility of that escalation. He added that while NATO had been reinforcing its eastern flank, it was not providing military aid.

"That has not been a NATO endeavor, that is a community of donor nations who are all making bilateral contributions to the Ukrainians and that donor community extends well beyond the borders of NATO," he told BBC Radio.

"It suits the Kremlin's narrative to claim that they are somehow in a confrontation with NATO. They were saying that before the war even began, but that is nonsense and Lavrov knows it."

Moscow calls its actions a "special operation" to disarm Ukraine and protect it from “fascists.” Ukraine and the West say this is a false pretext for an unprovoked war of aggression by President Vladimir Putin. It is more than legitimate for Ukraine to strike Russian logistics lines and fuel supplies.

The weapons that Ukraine received from the West had the range to hit Russia.

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