Brussels: Any use of chemical weapons in Russia's war on Ukraine would have far-reaching consequences, NATO head, Jens Stoltenberg warned on Wednesday (March 23). "Any use of chemical weapons would totally change the nature of the conflict, it would be a blatant violation of international law and would have far-reaching consequences," Stoltenberg was quoted by Reuters.
Stoltenberg also spoke about the dangers of Russia's "nuclear rhetoric". Stoltenberg told a news conference, "Russia should stop this dangerous irresponsible nuclear rhetoric." He added, "But let there be no doubt about our readiness to protect and defend allies against any threat anytime."
"Russia must understand that it can never win a nuclear war," he said on the eve of a summit of the Western military alliance's national leaders in Brussels. NATO leaders are all set to agree on extra support for Ukraine to deal with chemical and nuclear threats as it battles Russia's invading forces, Stoltenberg said. "Tomorrow, I expect allies will agree to provide additional support, including cybersecurity assistance as well as equipment to help Ukraine protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats," Stoltenberg said ahead of the Brussels summit.
Stoltenberg, however, made it clear that NATO is not a part of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. He said, "It (NATO) provides support to Ukraine but isn't part of the conflict." Stoltenberg added, "NATO will not send the troops into Ukraine... It is extremely important to provide support to Ukraine and we are stepping up. But at the same time, it is also extremely important to prevent this conflict from becoming a full-fledged war between NATO and Russia."
According to the United Nations, almost 3.6 million refugees have fled Ukraine so far, with more expected as the conflict with Russia showed no sign of abating. About 6.5 million are internally displaced within the country. Most chose to stay in eastern Europe, where a public outpouring of support and volunteering has helped the relief effort.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday said sending peacekeepers to Ukraine could lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and the NATO military alliance.
(With Reuters inputs)
