Volodimir Zelensky warned that Russia's nuclear threat to Ukraine puts global security at risk

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, warned on Thursday that the increased threat of a nuclear attack by war in his country puts global security at risk, he said in a virtual speech to the Australian Parliament.

“For dozens of years there has been no threat of a nuclear attack like we have now because Russian propagandists are openly discussing the possibility of using nuclear weapons against those who do not want to submit to Russian command,” Zelensky said in a speech with simultaneous translation.

“The country that uses nuclear blackmail should receive sanctions, which would show that such blackmail is destructive to the blackmailer himself,” Zelensky said, warning that “the most terrible thing” is that if Russia is not stopped now opens up the possibility that “other countries” emulate it, without identifying them.

In his speech, Zelensky stressed the need to impose more sanctions against Russia and its collaborators and the strict blockade of that country's ships in all international ports, while calling for more military aid that his country urgently needs.

“You have very good protected mobility vehicles, Bushmasters, that could help Ukraine substantially, and other equipment that could strengthen our position in terms of weaponry,” he suggested.

Zelensky also called for the punishment of those responsible for “war crimes”, referring to the downing of flight MH17 by pro-Russian forces on Ukrainian territory in July 2014, which killed 298 people, mostly Dutch and Australian nationals.

“If we had punished Russia for what it did... there would have been no invasion,” the president said on this virtual tour of several parliaments such as the US, the United Kingdom and members of the European Union, among other nations.

Previously, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in his welcoming speech to Zelensky that he will give 25 million Australian dollars (18 million US dollars) more for military assistance from Ukraine.

The amount announced by Morrison - who called Zelensky the “lion of democracy” and called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” - adds to the 156 million Australian dollars ($124 million) in aid to Ukraine, in addition to the shipment of lethal military and defence material.

Australia has imposed a series of sanctions and measures against Russia and its ally Belarus in condemnation of Moscow's invasion of that country on 24 February, which has caused more than 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than 4 million refugees, as well as the deaths of more than 6,000 civilians.

(With information from EFE)

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