Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov today issued what can only be described as a wake-up “slap in the face” to Washington, D.C., attempting to get their attention as to the “fatal” miscalculation they are making. As reported by RT, Ryabkov addressed journalists and stated: “I’d like to warn American actors against miscalculations that can lead to fatal consequences. For some unclear reason they underestimate how serious a response they could face.” American policymakers need to “spend some of their time, which they probably waste on computer games, judging by their air-headed approach to serious issues” on considering what Russian President Vladimir Putin had just said.
Putin certainly responded to U.S. President Biden’s decision last week to allow Ukraine to use American weapons against targets inside Russia. But, ever since Britain took the lead in removing restrictions on Kyiv’s use of Western weaponry, Putin has been clear that the military facilities of the offending Western nation, whether in Ukraine or elsewhere, would become a fair target.
Ryabkov also warned that Russia could react asymmetrically to a Ukrainian attack on its nuclear deterrence. (There have been several attacks on Russia’s long-range early-warning radars system recently.) He explained that Moscow would hold the U.S. responsible, as Washington officials “have given Kyiv a permit for any crimes, any action, and do nothing to curb provocations by their clients.… But the U.S. does not get this for free and will feel consequences.”
