Ukraine requires emergency UN assembly to counter Russia’s ‘nuclear blackmail’

Ukraine is requesting an emergency assembly of the United Nations Safety Council on Sunday after Russia mentioned it had reached an settlement to station nuclear weapons in Belarus, calling on the U.S. and different world powers to counter the Kremlin’s “nuclear blackmail.”

“Ukraine expects efficient measures to counter the Kremlin’s nuclear blackmail by the UK, China, the USA and France, particularly, as everlasting members of the UN Safety Council,” Ukraine’s International Ministry mentioned in an announcement. “We demand to instantly convene a unprecedented assembly of the UN Safety Council for this objective.”

The decision for an emergency assembly on the UN by Ukraine comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned on Saturday that his nation would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which shares a border with each Russia and Ukraine. Tactical nuclear weapons are made for battlefield use and are usually not designed for wide-ranging results like long-range nuclear weapons.

Putin framed the choice as a counter to the U.S. deployment of nuclear weapons in Europe, saying “we’re doing what they’ve been doing for many years.”

However the transfer by Putin raised eyebrows because the west fears an intensified assault on Ukraine. Whereas Belarus has indirectly been concerned within the combating with its army — as a substitute lending its land border with Ukraine to be used to Russia — there have been fears that the nation could become involved sooner or later.

Ukraine appealed to Belarus to not turn into a “hostage” of the Kremlin.

“Ukraine appeals to Belarusian society to stop the achievement of the legal functions  concerning the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus… which can additional flip this nation right into a hostage of the Kremlin,” the overseas ministry mentioned within the assertion.

Nationwide Safety Council spokesman John Kirby mentioned on CBS’s “Face The Nation” on Sunday that there had been “no indication” that Putin had made good on the pledge to maneuver nuclear weapons to Belarus or that he deliberate to make use of them within the conflict in Ukraine.

“We’ve not seen any indication that he’s made good on this pledge or moved any nuclear weapons round,” Kelly mentioned. “We’ve in  truth seen no indication that he has any intention to make use of nuclear weapons, interval, inside Ukraine.”