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13 months after the start of the war in Ukraine, the threat of Russia's use of nuclear weapons is the focus of concern for Western allies. NATO criticized Vladimir Putin after the Russian president announced plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

In addition, Ukraine's government on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to "counter the Kremlin's nuclear blackmail."

Meanwhile, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev has accused NATO countries of being "parties to the conflict. They have turned Ukraine into a big military camp. They send weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian troops and provide them with information."

Moscow could also demand compensation for damage caused by last year's explosions at the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russian diplomat Dmitry Birichevsky said.

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9:23

Patrushev: "Its main goal, to disintegrate Russia"

In addition, Patrushev noted that NATO instructors and advisers prepare the Ukrainian military, while on the battle front there are mercenaries of these countries fighting as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "By trying to prolong this military confrontation as much as possible, they do not hide their main objective, to defeat Russia on the battlefield and disintegrate it later," he added in the interview, according to EFE.

The Secretary of the Russian Security Council referred to the upcoming Democracy Summit to be held this week and which will focus its discussions on the situation in Ukraine. "By hypocritically debating freedom of choice, the United States, which set itself up as the world's leading dictator, will actually simply humiliate countries where the sovereignty and power of the people have been trampled on by themselves," Patrushev said.

In that sense, he attacked the United States, and denounced that "while proclaiming democratic slogans left and right, Washington has long become a champion in violating the sovereignty of other states, due to the number of wars and conflicts unleashed."

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9:10

"NATO countries are parties to the conflict"

The secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, has assured in an interview with the Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta that NATO countries are parties to the conflict in Ukraine, according to Reuters.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta quoted Patrushev as saying: "In fact, NATO countries are parties to the conflict. They have turned Ukraine into a big military camp. They send weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainian troops and provide them with information."

Patrushev, a former head of the FSB internal security service, is considered one of the most warmongering members of Vladimir Putin's inner circle.

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8:45

Russia will not leave the WTO

Russia does not intend to leave the World Trade Organization (WTO) despite attempts by some countries to force it out because of its military campaign in Ukraine, said Dmitry Birichevsky, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's economic cooperation department.

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It is no secret that unfriendly countries (...) try to get us out of the WTO. In this context, our withdrawal from the organization would be seen by the West as proof of the effectiveness of its anti-Russian line and would serve to continue intensifying the anti-Russian course," he told the Russian agency RIA Novosti, according to EFE.

Birichevsky noted that Russia analyzes all variants of its participation in multilateral trade and "the balance of gains and losses of WTO membership."

"We assume that we have every basis to remain in the organization as a full member with the aim of maintaining stable relations with developing countries that are willing to continue cooperation on the basis of equal rights," he added.

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8:02

Russia could demand compensation for Nord Stream explosions

Moscow could demand compensation for damage caused by last year's explosions at Nord Stream gas pipelines, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Monday, citing a Russian diplomat.

The gas pipelines, which connect Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea, suffered unexplained explosions last September in what Moscow called an act of "international terrorism."

"We do not rule out raising the question of compensation for damage caused by the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipelines later," Dmitry Birichevsky, head of the economic cooperation department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Reuters.

He added that Western countries opposed a draft UN Security Council resolution prepared by Russia calling for an independent international investigation into the Nord Stream explosions.

"Despite this, we intend to continue to insist on a thorough and open international investigation with the mandatory participation of Russian representatives," Birichevsky said.

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7:39

Japan's rejection

Japan's government called Moscow's threats about the use of nuclear weapons and its recent announcement about the deployment of tactical assets in Belarus "intolerable."

"As the only country that has suffered the use of nuclear weapons in war, Japan can never tolerate threats or the use of nuclear weapons by Russia," said the minister spokesman of the Executive, Hirokazu Matsuno, when asked about the issue at a press conference, EFE reported.

Japan also expressed its condemnation of Putin's announcement on the agreement for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. This measure "risks increasing the tension of the situation while Russia continues with its invasion of Ukraine," said the spokesman of the Japanese Executive.

Tokyo "will continue to call for a halt to actions that could provoke further tensions" and "will consider appropriate measures together with other countries in the United Nations Security Council," Matsuno added.

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7:36

Kiev calls for UN meeting

Ukraine's government on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to "counter the Kremlin's nuclear blackmail" after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to install tactical atomic weapons in Belarus.

Moscow has said the plan to install tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is a response to growing Western military support for Ukraine. Putin said he was responding to Britain's decision to send anti-tank shells containing depleted uranium to Ukraine.

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