Russia's Special Operation in Ukraine

US Delusional to Think Moscow Won't Defend Territory That Becomes Part of Russia - Antonov

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US politicians are delusional if they think Moscow will not defend the territories that have or may become part of Russia as a result of their residents' freely expressed popular will, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said in an opinion-editorial piece published by the National Interest.
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"I would like to add that certain American politicians are under a delusion if they think that our readiness to defend our territory does not apply to Crimea or to territories that may become part of Russia on the basis of a free expression of popular will," Antonov said on Wednesday.
The op-ed further saw Antonov blast the US for pushing toward a serious confrontation amid Russia's ongoing special military operation, adding that US policy has prompted a "deplorable" arms control situation.
"Today it is obvious that the US is directly involved in the military actions of the Kiev regime... Washington is pushing the situation towards a direct confrontation of the major nuclear powers fraught with unpredictable consequences," Antonov wrote.
"We see a deplorable, deserted picture in arms control... I have to remind the readers that all this is a result of the US policy."
Antonov highlighted that the US foreign policy over the years has resulted in the dismantling of the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty and also threatens to eliminate the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).
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Although the US and Russia have not reached the threshold of falling into the abyss of nuclear conflict, Washington must stop threatening Moscow, Antonov noted.
"I want to believe that, despite all the difficulties, we and the Americans have not yet approached a dangerous threshold of falling into the abyss of nuclear conflict," Antonov said. "It is important to stop threatening us."
The Russian ambassador went on to state that countries must agree in a joint statement that a nuclear war cannot be fought.
"I believe that any American will see eye-to-eye with me that we must not allow the explosive situation of the 1960s to repeat," Antonov wrote. "It is important that not only Russia and the United States, but also other nuclear states, confirmed in a common statement that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought."
Despite the West's stance that Russia has reportedly threatened the use of nuclear arms in the ongoing military operation, Russian President Vladimir Putin has only ever stated that Moscow would respond in the event that its security interests are threatened.
Russia's nuclear doctrine allows for such weapons to only be used in response to an enemy nuclear strike, or an act of conventional aggression so severe it threatens the country's survival.
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