January 1, Kremlin Issues Grim Warning: “Catastrophic for All Mankind”

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A top Russian official issued a blunt warning, saying that any further meddling in Ukraine by Western powers would ignite a third World War — one that “will be catastrophic for all mankind.”

Specifically, the Kremlin official said that if NATO were to approve Ukraine’s request to join, it “would mean a guaranteed escalation to a World War III.”

“Kyiv is well aware that such a step would mean a guaranteed escalation to a World War III,” said Alexander Venediktov, the deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council.

Ahead of Venediktov’s grim prediction, a senior NATO official said that if Russia were to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, it would almost certainly be met with a “physical response” from Ukraine’s allies. Similarly, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirmed that the U.S. was “committed to defending every inch of NATO’s territory.”

Venediktov posited that such “dangerous” comments were being made because “in the West, fewer and fewer people remember what war is.”

“For some reason, many believe that a nuclear war can be waged locally,” he said. “We must remember: A nuclear conflict will affect absolutely the whole world — and not only Russia and the collective West, but in general any country on this planet.”

He added the ominous warning: “Its consequences will be catastrophic for all mankind.”

Source: New York Post