The United States responded on Wednesday to Russian President Vladimir Putin's threat to use his nuclear arsenal by warning him of the dire consequences of such a move, while Western officials considered his decision to partially mobilize evidence of his failure in Ukraine.
Addressing the Russian people, Putin accused the West of pushing Ukraine to move military operations into his country and threatening Russia with nuclear strikes.
He said that Moscow has weapons of mass destruction that it will certainly use to protect Russia and its people, and justified what he called a preemptive strike against Ukraine by the presence of a plot to attack the Donbass region, which is located in eastern Ukraine and includes a majority of Russian-speaking people, as well as the Crimea.
The Russian President also announced that he had signed a decree for the partial mobilization of the reserve forces, starting today, as part of efforts to protect Russian territory and "liberate" the Donbass region, parts of which were seized by Russian forces as part of the war that Moscow started on February 24.
According to Putin's decree, an additional 300,000 personnel will be called up to serve in the Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
For his part, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that he had signed the partial mobilization directive and instructed the General Staff to start implementation procedures.
He added in a television interview that the line of contact in Ukraine extends for a thousand kilometers and there is a need to support this line.
Hours after the publication of Putin's decree, more than 1,000 people were arrested across Russia during protests against the mobilization decision, AFP reported.
Kirby described the partial mobilization of reservists announced by Putin as “large” (Reuters)
Serious consequences
In response to the Russian President's statements about the possible use of nuclear weapons, the French Press Agency quoted US sources as saying that the administration of President Joe Biden takes Putin's threats seriously.
John Kirby, the US National Security Council's strategic communications coordinator, said Washington takes Putin's nuclear threats seriously.
Kirby added in an interview with the American network "ABC" that his country is watching Russia's strategic positioning, noting that there will be serious consequences if nuclear weapons are used.
He added that the partial mobilization of reserve soldiers announced by Putin is large and double what he committed when he declared war on Ukraine.
Biden denounces
In New York, US President Joe Biden condemned, in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, the threat of his Russian counterpart to use nuclear weapons, describing it as irresponsible.
In turn, the European Union's foreign relations chief Josep Borrell accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of endangering world peace after threatening to use nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.
Borrell described Putin's threat of nuclear weapons, the partial mobilization of the reserve forces, and the announcement of the organization of referendums to annex occupied Ukrainian regions, as a dangerous escalation, considering that the announcement of the mobilization reflects a state of panic and despair.
He indicated that the European foreign ministers will discuss tonight, during an emergency meeting of them in New York, providing more military support to Ukraine and imposing additional sanctions on Moscow.
European Union Spokesman for Foreign Affairs Peter Stano also said that the Russian President's announcement is an expression of his desperation in his war with Ukraine and evidence that he does not want peace, and at the same time he wants the war to continue and deepen, he said.
sign of failure
In this context, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Liz Trace said - in a joint statement - that Putin's announcement of partial mobilization is a sign of weakness and an indication of the failure of what she described as Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Trace also said that the Russian president's calls for mobilization are a sign of the failure of what it called his barbaric invasion of Ukraine, adding that no false referendums to annex Ukrainian regions to Russia will be recognized.
As for the British Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, he saw that the Russian president’s decision to partially mobilize his army is evidence of his frustration, and he said in an interview with CNN that Putin’s decision means sending more of his soldiers to die in vain, as he put it.
In turn, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said sending more Russian troops to fight would escalate the conflict in Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described Moscow's decision to partially mobilize its forces as a desperate act, and considered that it would not win the war, which he described as criminal, saying that the seizure by force of a neighboring country or parts of its territory would not be acceptable.
Ukraine drowned in blood
Meanwhile, the newspaper Bild quoted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as not believing that Russian President Vladimir Putin would use nuclear weapons, saying that the West should not succumb to Moscow's blackmail.
Zelensky added that Putin wants to drown Ukraine with blood, including the blood of his soldiers, he said, stressing his confidence in the liberation of his country's lands.
For his part, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the response to Putin's threats is to double support for Ukraine with weapons and impose additional sanctions on Russia.
The adviser to the Ukrainian Defense Minister also told Al-Jazeera that Russian threats are frequent, and that his country will not be affected by what he described as Putin's provocations.
Dialogue to resolve differences
In Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry called on the warring parties in Ukraine to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation, and adhere to the United Nations Charter.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated Beijing's readiness to work with the international community to ease tensions.