In his speech to the "Beyond the News" program (10/12/2022), Kuznetsov indicated that the Russian escalation was a show of force to make the Ukrainian leadership more inclined to peace, considering that resorting to the nuclear option is a form of madness, but there will be bombing of the infrastructure. sensitive areas in Ukraine and targeting the transport networks through which Western weapons pass.
He also considered that NATO has become part of this conflict and is waging a proxy war against the Russian Federation, noting that Russia is not ready to use nuclear weapons because it would be a disaster for all European countries, but it has many options and weapons to achieve victory despite his expectations that This war will continue for the next 6 years.
Russia said, in the words of Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, that the discourse of Western countries on the nuclear issue is provocative and destructive, and stressed that it is not a partner in engaging in this discourse.
The Kremlin spokesman added that the statements of the Secretary-General of NATO, in which he said that Russia's victory over Ukraine would be a defeat for the alliance, confirm beyond any doubt that NATO is fighting on the side of Ukraine.
Unlimited support for Ukraine
On the other hand, the former American diplomat in Moscow, Donald Jensen, indicated that there is no limit to the assistance provided by NATO to Ukraine because he promised to support it as long as it needed it, considering that after the Russian “inhumane” attack, NATO would work to provide anti-missiles. and air defense systems to protect Ukraine.
He explained that the Russian threat is nothing but an attempt to stop Ukraine's support and prevent it from resisting, considering that it was Russian President Vladimir Putin who escalated the speech by talking about the possibility of using nuclear weapons, and accordingly the statements of US President Joe Biden and NATO that there will be a strong response and response in Moscow did it.
Regarding NATO's response, Jensen ruled out resorting to the option of using nuclear weapons, but he stressed that the response would be highly destructive and powerful for Russian military operations.
For his part, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the alliance is looking at how to provide more military support to Ukraine, and that he has made providing more air defense systems to Ukraine as a top priority.
Stoltenberg added that the attacks on infrastructure in Ukraine are serious, and illustrate the need for more air defenses, both long and short range.
According to Stoltenberg, Russia is implementing its largest escalation since the beginning of its war on Ukraine, and strengthening NATO's defenses at this time is a message to Moscow.