Key Takeaways:
- Germany has given an initial green light for Ukraine to receive its iconic Leopard 2 tanks
- Russia warned that any attempt to arm Ukraine with destructive weapons could bear catastrophic results for the West
- Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia losing the war could start a Nuclear War
YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — Ukraine has finally had a breakthrough in its attempts to acquire Leopard 2 tanks. Germany has finally softened its position and hinted that it is open to other countries supplying Kyiv with its ultra-modern tanks. Russia, meanwhile, has threatened that the West will pay a heavy price if it arms Moscow’s enemy. Any supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine could lead to their collective destruction via a global catastrophe. The warning comes days after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that the “special military operation”, as Russia calls it, could evolve into a Nuclear war.
Ukraine makes progress on Leopard 2s amid Russian warning
After months of refusing to budge, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has said Berlin would not block Poland from sending the iconic Leopard 2s to Ukraine. Poland and Finland had announced earlier that they are willing to donate Leopards to Kyiv.
As CoinChapter earlier reported, Ukraine has been eyeing the tanks for quite some time, without any success.
While the country has received several high-grade arsenals, the German tanks are considered ultra-modern, easy to maintain, and more suitable to stop Russian advancement. It is estimated that there are around 2,000 Leopards in Europe. However, they cannot go to Ukraine without German permission.
Berlin has come under a lot of pressure to allow Ukraine to receive the Leopards. Baerbock’s latest announcement is a major win for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Moreover, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has also announced that he expects a decision soon on the direct delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
The development made Russia send a chilling message to the West. Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma, said that the result of this would be catastrophic.
“If Washington and NATO supply weapons that would be used for striking peaceful cities and making attempts to seize our territory as they threaten to do, it would trigger a retaliation with more powerful weapons,”
Volodin said.
Recommended: Joe Biden does it again- His Administration will allocate another $2.5B in military aid to Ukraine
Dmitry Medvedev threatened Nuclear war
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine nears the completion of one year, the threats coming from the Kremlin only get worse. Last week, former President Dmitry Medvedev said that NATO and the West must let Russia win if they do not wish to see a Nuclear war.
“The defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war may trigger a nuclear war. Nuclear powers have never lost major conflicts on which their fate depends,”
Medvedev said.
Although he now serves as deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, he replaced Putin as President between 2008-2012.
The threat, however, was not just the personal rant of a Putin-ally. The Kremlin also endorsed his remarks, claiming Medvedev’s warnings were their official position.
Russia can use its nuclear weapons if the “very existence of the state is threatened”. Moscow can draw this conclusion if it feels that the weapons that the West intends to supply to Ukraine could threaten its sovereignty.
With nearly 6,000 nuclear warheads, Russia will face the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. These NATO members have 5,428, 290, and 225 nuclear weapons respectively. However, the Kremlin could receive the backing of China, which also possesses around 350 nuclear warheads.
“Potentially, this is extremely dangerous. It will mean bringing the conflict to a whole new level which, of course, will not bode well from the point of view of global and pan-European security,”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters last week.
Having given over 100,000 military casualties, Russia is far from achieving its objectives in Ukraine. However, it is capable of doing much worse if it starts sensing defeat. While it is great news that Ukraine will get more weapons to defend itself, will it do more good or bad? Hopefully good, but time will tell.
