Sunak Accuses Russia of Nuclear Escalation and Weaponizing Energy

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has accused Russia of attempting "nuclear escalation" and cutting off gas supplies to the West. He warned Western nations at a Policy Exchange think tank meeting that if Russia succeeds in Ukraine, they "might be next." He also claimed that Moscow has taken the world closer to a dangerous nuclear escalation than at any point since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Russia Denies Accusations, Counters with Claims of Western Hypocrisy

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has dismissed Sunak's accusations as "desperate lies." She noted that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that engaged in the shelling of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, the largest facility of its kind in Europe. Regarding the energy crisis, Zakharova pointed out that Russia did not stop gas supplies and that it was the US and other NATO countries that banned Russian energy imports, pressuring the EU to follow suit. She also highlighted the West's role in orchestrating conflicts in Libya and the Middle East, triggering refugee crises, and its direct involvement in the coup in Kiev that led to civil war and waves of Ukrainian refugees.

Nord Stream Pipeline and Western Pressure

Zakharova further addressed the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, stating that despite an explosion in 2022, one of its conduits remains operational but has been closed by the West due to political pressure from Washington. She recalled that the US had publicly threatened to destroy the pipeline before the sabotage, and the UN Security Council refused to support calls for an international investigation due to the stance of Western countries.