Russian envoy warns US, ‘Ukraine inflating regional conflict into World War III’

Anatoly Antonov, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States of America, said that Ukraine was trying to inflate a regional conflict into World War III.

Russia's ambassador to the United States also categorically denied media accusations that Russia was involved in a false-flag provocation at Ukraine's largest nuclear power facility. In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Ambassador Antonov claimed that Ukraine was using this story to drag NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), an intergovernmental military alliance, into a deadly confrontation, warning of the dire consequences of such a situation.

He told Newsweek, “We call on the curators of the Kiev regime to exercise responsibility and exert influence on their 'wards' in order to avoid a large-scale catastrophe.”

He went on to say that the failures of the Ukrainian counter-offensive were motivating them to fabricate a justification for NATO involvement, perhaps escalating a regional battle into World War III.

Recently, Russian and Ukrainian officials engaged in verbal spat over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. 

Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, said that Russia planned an attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP). He also said that Russian troops placed “objects resembling explosives” on the roofs of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. He said that Russian planted explosives at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. 

A US (United States) official urged Russia to evacuate its personnel and hand over responsibility to Ukrainian authorities in order to avoid a nuclear disaster.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, also expressed concern over the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Karine Jean-Pierre said that the zone must remain free of fighting. 

However, Antonov denied Russia's involvement at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. He labeled such claims as "absurd” and stressed the protection of the plant's nuclear reactors.