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Defense OneMay 23
Russia Warns US of 'Fatal' Miscalculation as Ukraine Strikes Russia With HIMARS
Above: Russian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Ryabkov speaks during the annual meeting of the Russian Academy of Science (RAS) on April 20, 2021 in Moscow, Russia. Image copyright: Mikhail Svetlov/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned US leaders against a miscalculation that could lead to "fatal consequences." The remarks came in light of Pres. Joe Biden's change of policy last week, allowing Ukraine to launch limited strikes on Russian territory with US-supplied weapons.
Speaking to Russian media on Monday, Ryabkov said: "I would like to warn American leaders against miscalculations that could have fatal consequences. For unknown reasons, they underestimate the seriousness of the rebuff they may receive."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Within hours of Western partners lifting restrictions, Ukraine used these weapons to great effect, striking Russian troop concentrations and military sites and destroying key Russian offensive weapons such as its Iskander-2 missile launcher, used to wage destruction on Ukrainian cities. These military changes of loosening the restrictions could help Ukraine win.
Pro-Russia narrative
World leaders — particularly those in America — continue to cross red lines, thinking Russia will not respond. This is a foolish strategy as one miscalculation could lead to a global conflict with fatal consequences for all. This was even stressed in the simplest terms by Pres. Putin recently, but these comments were still ignored.