On Wednesday, the Russian government issued a warning.
This came just days before President Biden’s trip to Europe to meet with NATO allies to discuss possible unilateral sanctions and other ways to counter Russia’s troops in Ukraine.
Imagine taking a time machine to 2002 and telling people that in 20 years Vladimir Putin would be sending Chechens to wage war in Ukraine in the name of protecting Russian speakers pic.twitter.com/uCu3DT6KfH
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) March 21, 2022
Sending soldiers from any of NATO’s member countries to serve as peacekeeping troops in the war-torn country, according to Russia, would be an extremely risky decision.
Russia claims that this decision will lead to a direct confrontation between Moscow and NATO.
The comments were made in response to a Polish proposition that NATO or another international entity send soldiers to serve as peacekeepers.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded on Wednesday by sending a message to students and professors at the Moscow Government Institute of International Interaction.
Do you still believed that #Russia's war against #Ukraine is a local conflict and nothing threatens #Europe?
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 22, 2022
Russian authority thinks differently pic.twitter.com/UV8Q6JhUSm
According to the Wall Street Journal, NATO discussions this week could result in a flurry of new sanctions and measures geared at exerting pressure on China.
The Biden administration is crafting fresh penalties against the majority of members of Russia’s State Legislature, the lower house, according to US officials.
Biden will use his talks in Brussels this week, according to Defense Secretary Jake Sullivan, to maintain pressure on China to stop from supplying aid to Russia.
At the meetings, the US and its partners are expected to announce further penalties against Russia.
Despite Russia’s continued massive attacks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres suggested that international efforts were starting to find traction.
In terms of further de-escalation efforts, Russia has stated that if the country’s survival is threatened, nuclear weapons will be used.