John AdoyiPolish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, has expressed his country’s growing concerns about the potential of the Ukraine-Russia crisis escalating into a global conflict.
His comments came after Russia launched a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on Thursday, named the “Oreshnik,” at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
Join our WhatsApp Channel“The war in the east is entering a decisive phase, we feel that the unknown is approaching,” Tusk remarked at a teachers’ conference, as reported by Reuters.
He described the situation as increasingly dire, cautioning that “the threat is serious and real when it comes to global conflict.”
The latest escalation unfolded earlier this week when Ukraine, for the first time, used long-range Storm Shadow cruise and ATACMS missiles supplied by the United Kingdom and the United States to strike targets within Russian territory. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned what he called NATO’s “aggressive actions” and subsequently ordered the strike on Ukrainian facilities with the hypersonic “Oreshnik” missile, a system reportedly undergoing combat testing.
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In a video address, Putin defended the missile strike, labelling it a necessary countermeasure against the West’s involvement in the conflict. “Russia conducted combat tests of the ‘Oreshnik’ hypersonic missile system in response to the aggressive actions of NATO countries against Russia,” Putin said. He added that this was a retaliatory response to the Western-supplied missiles used by Ukraine in attacks on Russian territory on November 21.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned Russia’s deployment of the hypersonic weapon, calling it a “terrible escalation.” Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy who had been pushing the West to allow Ukraine permission to use those missiles despite warnings from Russia that it will lead to escalation and retaliation against Ukraine allies, echoed this sentiment, describing the missile attack as “yet more proof that Russia has no interest in peace.” Zelenskyy urged Western nations to take decisive action, saying, “Russia must be forced into real peace, which can only be achieved through strength.”
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According to him, the use of the missile is a challenge to the West and the west should rise to the occasion.
The West’s continued support for Ukraine has been met with growing caution from global leaders, with concerns that increased involvement and the introduction of advanced weaponry could drive the conflict to new, unpredictable heights. Putin, in his address, warned of a “decisive and symmetrical” response should the West escalate further.
Since the invasion began in February 2022, the human toll has been devastating. The Wall Street Journal, citing intelligence sources, reported that nearly one million people have been killed or wounded in the conflict. The war has resulted in massive property destruction, estimated in the billions.
With no resolution in sight, international leaders face mounting pressure to navigate a fraught situation that now threatens to destabilise not only Eastern Europe but potentially the broader geopolitical landscape.
