Military aid to Ukraine, WW III in the making

The conflict in Ukraine has raised the prospects of an all out confrontation between nuclear armed states. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, has warned about a real danger of World War III breaking out.

In his comments to Russian media outlets, Lavrov emphasized that, given the current tensions between Russia and the West, the danger of World War III was "real".

Lavrov also criticized Ukraine's approach to talks stressing that if the negotiations did not move in a reciprocal way, the negotiation process will be hampered. Lavrov has also accused NATO of engaging in a proxy war with Russia through Kyiv.

I think that the US and their allies have been pushing the world towards a sort of World War III or even a new cold war mentality for months and even years now with the kind of propaganda and various official lines that the United States, and their closest allies like Great Britain, France and Germany, have been pushing against Russia.

Simon Miller, Foreign Policy Analyst, Center for Political Innovation

WW3 scenario: Is US risking this through arming Ukraine?

Russia could not be any clearer: keep arming Ukraine, and risk WW3.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has criticized his Russian counterpart for warning of “the real danger of World War III” stressing that Lavrov's comments indicated that "Moscow senses defeat".

The warning by Lavrov came after the US pledged more aid to Ukraine.

US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, and US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, paid a top secret visit to Kyiv on Sunday and promised to supply more arms to Ukraine.

And I think that the NATO encroachments, and the furthering of NATO interests throughout Europe as they get closer and closer to Russia's borders, justify some reaction from Russia, and the United States is going to continue pushing in their interest, which is only going to get us closer to World War III.

Simon Miller, Foreign Policy Analyst, Center for Political Innovation

Analyst: US seeks to prolong war in Ukraine to 'weaken' arch-foe Russia

A US-based political commentator and journalist says Washington is seeking to prolong the war in Ukraine in a bid to “weaken” its arch-foe Russia.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in the Kremlin on Tuesday for talks revolving around the Ukrainian crisis.

Putin said the move by Moscow to recognize the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk was based on the Kosovo precedent set by a UN backed court.

Following the meeting, the UN Secretary General said that the Russian President agreed, in principle, to UN involvement in evacuating civilians from the Azovstal steelworks.

Meanwhile, dozens of US allies met in Germany to bolster Ukraine's military. Traditionally neutral countries, Sweden and Finland are also taking part in the meeting.

The conference secured pledges from allies to sustain aid to Ukraine's military throughout the next phase of the war and beyond. The meeting saw a major pledge from Germany to deliver tanks to Ukraine in a radical switch in policy on the supply of military equipment to Kyiv, which it had previously refused to do.

France’s Macron vows to ‘intensify’ aid to Ukraine

The newly re-elected president said aid amounted to "more than 615 tonnes of equipment."

The US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, explained that the conference would evolve into a monthly contact group on Ukrainian self defense.

According to a Pentagon official, at least 18 of the 19 artillery pieces Washington promised to dispatch to Kyiv in the past two weeks have already been delivered to Ukrainian forces and more are being rushed in this week.

In addition, Washington is supplying nearly 200,000 rounds of howitzer munitions and is arranging ammunition supplies for the Russian made artillery that Ukrainian forces currently operate. France is sending its ultra advanced CAESAR mobile howitzer and the Czech Republic is delivering its older self propelled howitzers.

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Canada is also sending howitzers and advanced guided Excalibur artillery shells that can travel more than 40 kilometers and deliver munitions precisely on target.

The UK has said it will send Stormer armored vehicles equipped with anti missile launchers to Kyiv. British Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said the country is also looking to provide Ukraine with long range artillery and ammunition as well as anti ship missiles.

I believe there is a limit to how far these countries will allow the United States to use them, and I think that when it comes to threats of nuclear war, or the risk of all out World War Three with Russia, I do think that we're going to see states in Europe start to stand up to that US imperialism and try and go against them, maybe even allying with Russia themselves.

Simon Miller, Foreign Policy Analyst, Center for Political Innovation

US not in 'proxy war' with Russia in Ukraine: Menendez

Democratic senator Bob Menendez says the US will continue to assist Ukraine and "defeat Russia" in Ukraine.

The European Commission insists that arming Ukraine is not about prolonging the conflict.

However, a growing number of civil society organizations and lawmakers in various European countries believe the West should be prioritizing peace talks over arms delivery.

Moscow has warned Western countries of the unpredictable consequences of arming Ukraine. Russia has declared that it views Western military supplies to Ukraine as legitimate targets.

Russia says dialog with US on strategic stability formally ‘frozen’

Russia says strategic stability dialogue with the United States is formally ‘frozen’ by Washington.

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