US engaged China and India to warn Putin against nuclear strikes on Ukraine - Blinken
United States took seriously Russia’s threat of using tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine and warned Putin of possible consequences not only directly but also through China and India.
This was stated by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, reports Censor.NЕТ with reference to Ukrinform.
"When the Ukrainians launched a counteroffensive last spring and achieved significant success, you know, there was some concern that Putin might react even more irrationally. And there was rhetoric coming out of Moscow that suggested that they would consider using tactical nuclear weapons. So that was a concern," Blinken said.
The U.S. side not only sent a direct message to Russia, in particular through Minister Lavrov, but also used other channels.
"We called on - and I think successfully - other countries that could have had a little more influence on Russia at the time. In particular, China, but also countries like India, to talk directly to Putin about their absolute rejection of any use of nuclear weapons," the US Secretary of State said. Blinken also noted that these messages were conveyed, "and I think it had an effect."
