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PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN today warned that Russia was prepared to take military steps in response to “unfriendly” Western actions over the Ukraine conflict, in a sharp escalation of rhetoric.
He also called for “serious negotiations” on Russian security demands put to the United States and NATO during his first call with new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who in turn called for “de-escalation”.
The Russian president has for weeks accused the United States and the Washington-led NATO military alliance of stoking tensions near Moscow’s borders, but these were his first comments hinting at potential conflict.
Putin told defence ministry officials that if the West continued its “obviously aggressive stance” Russia would take “appropriate retaliatory military-technical measures”.
Russia “will react toughly to unfriendly steps”, he said, adding that he wanted to underscore that “we have every right to do so”.
The United States has been sounding the alarm since mid-November that Moscow could be planning a large-scale attack on its ex-Soviet neighbour Ukraine and has warned Putin of unprecedented sanctions.
Western governments have accused Moscow of amassing some 100,000 troops near its border with eastern Ukraine, where Kiev has been fighting pro-Russia separatists since 2014.
‘Doorstep of our house’
Russia denies plotting an invasion and has demanded legal guarantees over its security from the United States and NATO, demanding the alliance stop an eastward expansion.
Last week, Moscow presented its demands to the United States and NATO, saying the alliance must not admit new members or establish military bases in ex-Soviet countries.
In his first call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Putin today said he wanted “serious negotiations” on the demands, accusing Ukraine of having violated the 2015 ceasefire agreements.
“The chancellor expressed his concern about the situation and spoke of the urgent need for de-escalation,” said a statement released by Scholz’s office.
At the meeting with defence officials earlier, Putin voiced concern in particular over what he said was US missile deployments in Poland and Romania, countries he said would soon be capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles.
“If this infrastructure moves further – if US and NATO missile systems appear in Ukraine – then their approach time to Moscow will be reduced to seven or 10 minutes,” he said. That the time would be cut even shorter with hypersonic weapons, he added.
Despite hinting at conflict, Putin insisted Russia wanted to avoid “bloodshed”.
“We want to resolve issues by political and diplomatic means,” he said.
But the Russian leader repeated grievances over Washington’s support for Ukraine, which includes training Kiev’s forces and committing more than $2.5 billion in funds to them.
Those actions are taking place “at the doorstep of our house”, said Putin.
Zelensky seeks ‘clear timeline’
Even if Moscow receives US security guarantees, Putin said he would be wary of them because “the United States easily withdraws from all international treaties that for one reason or another become uninteresting to them”.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile voiced frustration over NATO’s reluctance to speed up Kiev’s membership in the alliance.
“We cannot accept the theory that is now very popular about (Ukraine joining) the EU in 30 years and NATO sometime in about 50 years,” Zelensky said Tuesday.
Ukraine wanted to get a “very clear timeline” from NATO on the prospect of membership in 2022, he added.
Although Kiev has for years been seeking to join the US-led alliance, Western officials have on numerous occasions said this is not on the cards any time soon.
Ukraine and its Western allies say Moscow has long been involved in the Ukraine conflict, sending troops and weapons to support the separatists in fighting that has claimed over 13,000 lives.
Russia denies the claims and says Kiev has mobilised half its forces to the eastern conflict zone.
Kiev’s forces have modernised and acquired attack drones from NATO member Turkey, which drew an angry response from Putin when Ukraine deployed them in October.
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They just don’t taste the same since they took the horse out.
People buying *fewer* frozen burgers is surely an unexpected benefit of this debacle? Just hope they’re buying something fresher and healthier instead!
We’ve always made our own hamburger patties. Even growing up in my Mothers home, she made and still does make everything from scratch, even her pizza bases and pasta..
Last night I mad hamburgers for the family.. So quick and easy and tastes even better as you make it the way you like it. :)
The best burgers are homemade no question about it …think I know what I’m cooking tonight now
How anyone can eat that frozen sh1t is beyond me. Saying they are affordable is just a lazy excuse
Fact. Even you use the cheap 20% fat mince in your homemade burgers, you still end up with a healthier and more traceable burger than anything processed or off the shelf!!
Why people eat processed food in the first place is beyond me
It’s not good for ya folks
I used to use weetabix instead of breadcrumbs for the binder. Fantastic texture to the beef patty.
And do you have your own farm and cows? As otherwise you can’t tell what meat you’re using / what was animal fed etc.? That’s about your burgers from “scratch” I’m afraid.
Quick, cheap, usually decent tasting…?
I still buy them. Even if there was horse meat in them sure a but of horse isn’t gonna kill ya.
I still buy em. That’s *neigh* true! I’ll get my coat…
Blessing in disguise, the controversy increased peoples awareness of what was going into their bodies. The people of this country are better off if they take matters into their own hands and prepared food with the raw materials themselves. Overall their is a shocking lack of knowledge of even how the most simple of meals are made.
Hence part of the reason 100 job loses in Tipperary announced….
I gets my burgers from the local horse ranch..giddy up.
Why would anybody but that frozen meat patty crap, when you can crack an egg into a bit of fresh mince and make ur own burgers in minutes 100 times nicer than that frozen plastic muck!
Horse meat is fine, Iv had it, but I was told what I was about to order! Sure thirty odd years ago a chipper in D12 area (now long gone) used to sell batter burgers made of dog food and was caught. People used to love them….specially after a feed of pints!
will the river of mince ever end?
Never have eaten frozen burgers,will only eat fresh if the origin is known,if not, i just wont eat,and that goes for most meats.
well certainly not my flat mate, they’d eat shite and well turns out they do look the worse for wear.
I always make my own. Any processed meat that comes out of a box cant be good.
What a shame. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. It leads to the most stupid and damaging overreactions.
The most silly example of this was the Capuchin shelter in Dublin throwing out all of their burgers (many of which would have been kindly donated by members of the public, and gratefully eaten by visitors to the shelter) which they could have given to the needy and which would have done those who ate them not a fraction of harm at all.
Also, how many jobs will be lost in Irish meat factories because of the largely uninformed (a little knowledge being a dangerous thing), negative overreaction of Irish consumers?
That one in the photo needs to go in the freezer pronto before it thaws.
No regulation was to be expected.
Banana republic.
Sure the simple reason why people by less frozen burgers is the fact that most chains don’t carry them no more or in very limited quantities. Great research that is!
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