Why is Britain’s Uranium Ammo Decision a Big Deal?
The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense announced that it would be sending anti-tank ammunition for the Challenger 2 tanks being delivered to Ukraine that contain depleted uranium. | Russia—which has always opposed the introduction of any uranium-derived weapons into the Ukraine conflict, responded with harsh words of censure and warning. “If all this happens,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “Russia will have to respond accordingly, given that the west collectively is already beginning to use weapons with a nuclear component.” The Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, likewise noted that, thanks to the British actions, there were now fewer steps left before a potential “nuclear collision” between Russia and the west. [...] That Russia has taken a principled stand about the use of DU as a weapon underscores the fact that its stance regarding the introduction of DU into Ukraine by the UK is not merely a political show, but a national security reality, and that Russian warning regarding the consequences of such actions should be treated with all seriousness.