WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st September, 2022) Former US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the conflict in Ukraine would not have occurred under his presidency but now the situation threatens to escalate into World War III after Russia announced a partial mobilization and the potential use of all weapons in its arsenal if its territorial integrity is violated.
"President (Vladimir) Putin of Russia is now threatening the use of Nuclear Weapons, saying 'It is not a bluff.' The Ukrainian conflict should never have happened, and would not have happened if I were President. But as I have made very clear for quite some time, this could now end up being World War III," Trump said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Putin announced a partial mobilization of Russian forces, consisting of 300,000 soldiers, to assist the special military operation in support of the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. All four territories are set to hold referenda to join the Russian Federation.
Current US President Joe Biden said in a speech to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that the United States does not seek a new Cold War and hopes the conflict in Ukraine ends on "just terms." However, Biden also characterized the referenda as "sham," indicating that the US does not plan to recognize their outcomes.
Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24 after escalating attacks against the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics by forces of the regime in Kiev prompted local authorities to request support from Moscow.
