MOSCOW, 15 Nov. The conflict in Ukraine could escalate into World War III if either side uses nuclear weapons, retired US Admiral Mike Mullen told PBS.
«It's just a very dangerous time, Honestly. And this conflict must be ended without the use of these weapons. <…> I am very afraid that in fact, if these weapons appear, we will be very close to a third world war and a war with Russia,” the officer believes.
In his opinion, the Ukrainian crisis can only be resolved through diplomacy . For this, it is necessary to form the principles and boundaries of the negotiation process, the admiral is convinced.
Earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky repeatedly threatened Moscow with bombings. Thus, during a speech at the Lowy Institute in Australia via video link, he demanded that the North Atlantic Alliance act preemptively, and not «wait for Russian nuclear strikes.»
As his press secretary Sergei Nikiforov later clarified, the Ukrainian leader did not ask to use «doomsday weapon», and his speech was only about «the period before the start of the special operation.» According to Nikiforov, then only preventive sanctions were discussed.
The representative of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov noted that Zelensky, with his rhetoric, essentially called for the start of a world war. He asked the United States, Great Britain and the EU countries to pay attention to the statements of the head of the Ukrainian state and recalled that in the event of such a conflict, the consequences would be monstrous and unpredictable. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also pointed to the growing risks of using weapons of mass destruction due to the reckless actions and statements of the Kyiv regime.