Putin sparks US nuke panic as ‘military hardware’ destine for Cuba: ‘Drum of war sounding’

Russia: Putin ‘playing a game of chess’ says expert

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A senior diplomat in the Kremlin described two recent rounds of talks with the US and NATO as “unsuccessful.” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov, who led negotiations with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, said he didn’t want “to confirm anything, [but] won’t exclude anything here either”. When asked whether Russia might consider establishing a military presence in Washington’s backyard, Mr Ryabkov said it depended “on the actions of American colleagues”.

This marks a significant increase in the tensions between the US and Russia.

The current stand-off between the pair over Ukraine has already been compared to the Cold War, but the reference to Cuba will strike fear in US military experts.

During the Sixties, the world came within touching distance to all-out nuclear war as the US and Soviet Union tussled over ultimate supremacy both on the ground and in space.

These tensions reached their peak on October 16, 1962, when the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted.

It was sparked after Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to fulfil Fidel Castro’s request to place nuclear missiles in Cuba.

The tensions led to a month-long stand-off between the pair which saw both sides threaten to push the big red button.

Now, some in the US fear a similar rhetoric is unfolding.

Michael Carpenter, the US representative at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe last night noted: “The drumbeat of war is sounding loud, and the rhetoric has gotten rather shrill.

“At the present time, we’re facing a crisis in European security.”

A few weeks ago, Moscow sent Washington a list of “security guarantees” demanding that NATO halt its eastward expansion and, most importantly, close the door for Ukraine to join the alliance.

But following high-stakes talks in Geneva and Brussels this week, Ms Sherman called some of Moscow’s demands “simply non-starters.”

She said: “We will not slam the door shut on NATO’s open-door policy.

“We are not going to agree that NATO cannot expand any further.”

Meanwhile, Russia’s military has massed about 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, stoking fears that it could be preparing for another invasion of the country.

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Putin has denied he is ready for an invasion and instead calling for the US to revisit his demands.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday: “The jury’s out on which path Vladimir Putin is going to choose.

“Is he going to choose the path of diplomacy and dialogue to resolve some of these problems or is he going to pursue confrontation and aggression?”

Moscow has seen Ukraine as a potential security threat since elections there ushered in new leadership that severed longtime close ties with Russia and instead shifted the country’s alliance to the West.

Kiev is actively seeking membership for NATO.

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