Is World War-III on the horizon if Ukraine joins NATO?

New Delhi: In a chilling reminder to the world, Russia Security Council deputy secretary Alexander Venediktov reportedly told news agency TASS that Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would certainly lead to World War III. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing for a long time to be a member of the America-led military alliance. The warning came after the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) met on Wednesday to condemn Russia annexing Ukraine’s territories following ‘referendums’.

Context

Against the expectation, Russia faced stiff resistance from tiny Ukraine. For the last seven months, Russia suffered several setbacks at the hands of Ukrainian forces who are being “massively supported” by the US and its allies. Ukraine is insistent on joining NATO — an intergovernmental military force established by the Western powers. The West had formed NATO essentially to ‘defend’ itself from the Eastern Bloc under the influence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Discourse on WW-III

France president Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said, “We do not want a World War.” He was responding to the Russian threat over Ukraine’s NATO membership bid. He tweeted: “We are helping Ukraine to resist on its soil, never to attack Russia. Vladimir Putin must stop this war and respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity.” He reportedly told French broadcaster France 2 he would not sanction nuclear strikes even if Moscow were to unleash such weapons in Ukraine. “Our doctrine wouldn’t be affected if… there was a ballistic nuclear attack in Ukraine,” he said.

‘Use of tactical nuclear weapons’

Russian president Vladimir Putin has already said that it has available “all the means at our disposal” to “defend our land”, including recently annexed Ukrainian regions. However, responding to Putin’s threat President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he did not think it would happen even though he earlier raised alarm in this regard while calling for world leaders to consider “the impact of the crisis” seriously. Meanwhile, the military bloc’s Nuclear Planning Group met on Thursday to discuss plans for an exercise.

Tactical nuclear weapons are often characterised by their size, their range, or their use for limited military targets, reported AlJazeera, adding that they are many times larger than conventional bombs, causing radioactive fallout and other deadly effects beyond the explosion itself. It added that Russia has 1,000 to 2,000 warheads for non-strategic nuclear weapons in its arsenal, according to a March report by the US Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Russian intensifies strikes; NATO nations enhances military add to Ukraine

Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv using Iranian-made kamikaze drones on Thursday for the fourth consecutive day, reported AP. Russian missiles on Wednesday rained down on several parts of Ukraine, including a crowded market in Avdiivka town of Donetsk region, which is on the frontline. The attack killed at least seven people and injured eight, said the Ukrainian governor of Donetsk. Following this Britain pledged to donate air defense missiles to Ukraine which could shoot down cruise missiles. Earlier, France promised radar and air defense systems to Ukraine, while Canada promised to donate artillery rounds. Germany has donated one of the four promised IRIS-T SLM air defense systems to Ukraine.

UNGA resolution: 143 of 193 nations vote in favor, India abstains

The UNGA met late on Wednesday to table a resolution calling Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia illegal. Out of 193 member nations, 143 voted in favor of the resolution, while India and China along with three other countries abstained from voting, as per media reports. Last month, Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

India calls for ‘dialogue and diplomacy’

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Explaining India’s decision to abstain, Kamboj said India is firm on reaching a peaceful solution through dialogue and diplomacy. She said India is on the side of peace and respects the UN Charter.

—-INDIA NEWS STREAM