The use of nuclear weapons, comes the strong warning of the USA to Putin

The United States warned Russia that using nuclear weapons in Ukraine would have dire consequences. As Voice of America correspondent Cindy Saine reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that if Russia is threatened, he is ready to "use all available means", thus referring to weapons of mass destruction.

The Kremlin formally announced in a ceremony on Friday the annexation of four occupied regions of Ukraine, after holding referendums that Ukraine and allies have deemed illegal and vowed to impose further sanctions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to defend the new territories "with all available means", alarming officials in the West.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said this week that if Russia uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the consequences would be severe and catastrophic.

"We have expressed publicly and privately to the Russians that the consequences would be real, and they would be extraordinary," Mr. Price said.

He was asked whether these harsh consequences would apply even if Russia used a small nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

"The use of nuclear weapons in this conflict would be accompanied by these consequences," said Mr. Price.

On Thursday, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a bill that would cut ties with any country that recognizes the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions. Senator Graham also spoke about Russian President Putin's nuclear threats.

"The use of nuclear weapons by Russia in Ukraine would be an attack on NATO itself. The radiation would not be limited to just within Ukraine. The radiation would affect parts of Europe that are under the NATO flag. So if that day comes, and I hope and pray it doesn't, it should be viewed by all of NATO, by the United States, as an attack by Russia on NATO itself," said Senator Graham.

Michael Kimmage, ekspert për marrëdhëniet SHBA-Rusi në Universitetin Katolik, i tha Zërit të Amerikës se është e pamundur të dihet nëse Presidenti rus Putin po e shqyrton vërtet mundësinë e përdorimit të armëve bërthamore.

“Do të ishte një hap tepër i madh për Rusinë dhe që do të ndryshonte imazhin e saj, ndoshta njëherë e përgjithmonë, në skenën ndërkombëtare. Nuk është e qartë nëse do të mundësojë rezultate ndryshe nga pikëpamja ushtarake. Dhe sigurisht që nga ana tjetër mund të nxisë kundërshtarët e Putinit, përfshirë Shtetet e Bashkuara, të përshkallëzojnë reagimin”, thotë zoti Kimmage.

Ekspertët thonë se mobilizimi ushtarak i shpallur nga Presidenti Putin ka trazuar dhe zemëruar shumë rusë në mbarë vendin, të cilët po përjetojnë tashmë efektet e luftës.

At least 200,000 Russians have left the country since the military mobilization was ordered, crossing the border to Kazakhstan, Georgia, Finland and Mongolia./ VOA