p
The next decade will be the “most dangerous” for the world since the end of World War II, Russian President Vladimir Putin predicted Thursday.
Russia has continued to escalate its invasion of Ukraine, and Putin has also intensified his nuclear rhetoric, raising concerns that he may deploy a tactical nuclear weapon. Putin said at an annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club that the current global situation is “somewhat revolutionary,” according to Agence France-Presse.
“Probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and at the same time important decade since the end of World War II awaits us,” Putin said.
Putin’s statement comes less than a day after his army completed several ICBMs (ICBM) Wednesday. Russia tested ground-launched missiles, aircraft and submarines in the “Grom” exercise. Each of the missiles was capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
EXPLANATION: DIRTY BOMBS ARE DEVICES USED TO CREATE FEAR AND PANIC, ACTUALLY CAUSING FEW DEATHS
Russian officials also accused Ukraine of planning the use of a “dirty bomb” within its borders, a claim that Ukraine and its Western allies rejected as an excuse for Putin to further escalate the conflict.
A dirty bomb is a conventional explosive device that has been combined with radioactive material to contaminate its landing area.
“We will consider the Kiev regime’s use of the dirty bomb as an act of nuclear terrorism,” Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the Security Council said in a letter. .
The US, France and the UK released a statement dismissing the allegations soon after, calling them “transparently false”.
“The world would see any attempt to use this accusation as a pretext for escalation,” the three countries wrote in a joint statement. “We further reject any pretext for Russia’s escalation.”
Brig. General Pat Ryder told reporters that Wednesday’s Russian missile tests were routine and had been planned for some time, but he condemned the Russian rhetoric as “reckless”.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“As we noted earlier, this is a routine annual exercise by Russia,” Ryder said. “In this regard, Russia is complying with its arms control obligations, its transparency, its notification commitments.