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Russia is ready for nuclear war! –

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Russia is ready for nuclear war!

President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday Russia was technically ready for nuclear war and that if the U.S. sent troops to Ukraine, it would be considered a significant escalation of the conflict.

Putin, speaking just days before a March 15-17 election which is certain to give him another six years in power, said the nuclear war scenario was not “rushing” up and he saw no need for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

“From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready,” Putin, 71, told Rossiya-1 television and news agency RIA in response to a question whether the country was really ready for a nuclear war.

Putin said the U.S. understood that if it deployed American troops on Russian territory – or to Ukraine – Russia would treat the move as an intervention.

“(In the U.S.) there are enough specialists in the field of Russian-American relations and in the field of strategic restraint,” said Putin, the ultimate decision maker in the world’s biggest nuclear power.

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“Therefore, I don’t think that here everything is rushing to it (nuclear confrontation), but we are ready for this.”

Putin’s nuclear warning came alongside another offer for talks on Ukraine as part of a new post-Cold War demarcation of European security. The U.S. says Putin is not ready for serious talks over Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has triggered the deepest crisis in Russia’s relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and Putin has warned several times the West risks provoking a nuclear war if it sends troops to fight in Ukraine.

Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering full-scale war after eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces on one side and pro-Russian Ukrainians and Russian proxies on the other.

NUCLEAR WAR?

In a U.S. election year, the West is grappling with how to support Kyiv against Russia, which now controls almost one-fifth of Ukrainian territory and is rearming much faster than the West and Ukraine.

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Kyiv says it is defending itself against an imperial-style war of conquest designed to erase its national identity. Russia says the areas it controls in Ukraine are now Russia.

Putin has sent a series of public nuclear warnings to the U.S. aimed at discouraging greater involvement in Ukraine – a move the Kremlin says would mark a slide into world war.

Washington says it has seen no major changes to Russia’s nuclear posture but Putin’s public nuclear warnings – which break with the extreme caution of the Soviet leadership over such remarks – have sown concern in Washington.

Putin reiterated the use of nuclear weapons was spelled out in the Kremlin’s nuclear doctrine, which sets out the conditions under which it would use such a weapon: broadly a response to an attack using nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, or the use of conventional weapons against Russia “when the very existence of the state is put under threat.”

“Weapons exist in order to use them,” Putin said. “We have our own principles.”

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CNN reported on Saturday the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden was specifically concerned in 2022 that Russia might use a tactical or battlefield nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

Putin said he had never felt the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

TALKS?

Putin said Russia was ready for serious talks on Ukraine.

“Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine, but they should be based on reality – and not on cravings after the use of psychotropic drugs,” Putin said.

Reuters reported last month that Putin’s suggestion of a ceasefire in Ukraine to freeze the war was rejected by the U.S. after contacts between intermediaries.

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U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns warned earlier this week that if the West did not provide proper support for Ukraine, Kyiv would lose more territory to Russia which would embolden Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Burns, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, told the Senate Intelligence Committee it was in U.S. interests to support Ukraine to allow it to get into a stronger position before talks.

Putin said he trusted no one and Russia would need written security guarantees in the event of a settlement.

“I don’t trust anyone, but we need guarantees, and guarantees must be spelled out, they must be such that we would be satisfied,” Putin said.

-Reuters

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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FEDERATION CUP

President Federation Cup: At least five Premier clubs are doomed for elimination

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Star War in Akwa as Lobi Stars face Shooting Stars. One Premier League club will be eliminated

No fewer than five clubs in the Nigeria Premier League will be eliminated this week from the President Federation Cup.

At the moment, 11 of the 17 premier league clubs are on course as the knock-out competition gets to the Round of 32.

Undoubtedly, the non-application of seeding has seen five fixtures pitching the top clubs together while another five pitched lower division clubs against one another.

The remaining six pairings have premier league clubs facing lower ranked teams. These include: relegation-threatened Akwa United facing Zamfara United in Abuja and Gombe United facing former top division sides, El-Kanemi Warriors in Kaduna.  

Another ‘mixed fixture’ will see Premier sides, Kwara United facing Warri Wolves while Abia Warriors will face Sporting Supreme of the FCT.

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Premier sides, Bendel Insurance will face Wikki Tourists of Bauchi as Enyimba are pitched against Akwa Ibom’s FC Rockets.

But nothing is guaranteed to the Premier League sides as knockout competitions are replete with underdogs upstaging power houses.

No matter the situations, five of the Premier League are doomed for elimination. Former champions Lobi Stars and Shooting Stars in a “Star War” in Awka.

Plateau United and  Sunshine Stars are meeting in Abuja just as Rivers United will face fellow Premier League sides, Niger Tornadoes in Auchi.

Katsina United and Bayelsa United will play in Abuja while Doma United face  Kano Pillars in Bauchi.

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MEN’S ROUND OF 32 FIXTURES

Bendel Insurance (Edo) Vs Wikki Tourists (Bauchi) – Abuja Area 3 – 22/05/24 – 4pm

EFCC FC (FCT) Vs Edel FC (Anambra) – Ilorin – 22/05/24 – 4pm

ABS FC (Kwara) Vs Kebbi United (Kebbi) – Abuja Goal Project – 23/05/24 – 4pm

Akwa United (Akwa Ibom) Vs Zamfara United Feeders (Zamfara) – Abuja Bwari – 23/05/24 – 4pm

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Gombe United (Gombe) Vs El-Kanemi Warriors (Borno) – Kaduna – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Lobi Stars (Benue) Vs Shooting Stars (Oyo) – Awka – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Ikorodu City (Lagos) Vs Coal City (Enugu) – Benin City – 23/05/24 – 4pm

Hammola Int’l (Osun) Vs Inter Lagos (Lagos) – Ibadan – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Warri Wolves (Delta) Vs Kwara United (Kwara) – Enugu – 22/05/24 – 4pm

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Abia Warriors (Abia) Vs Sporting Supreme (FCT) – Benin City – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Nasarawa United (Nasarawa) Vs Sokoto United (Sokoto) – Kano – 22/05/24 – 4pm

FC One Rocket (Akwa Ibom) Vs Enyimba FC (Abia) – Yenagoa – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Plateau United (Plateau) Vs Sunshine Stars (Ondo) – Abuja Goal Project – 22/05/24 – 4pm 

Rivers United (Rivers) Vs Niger Tornadoes (Niger) – Auchi – 22/05/24 – 4pm

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Katsina United (Katsina) Vs Bayelsa United (Bayelsa) – Abuja Bwari – 22/05/24 – 4pm

Doma United (Gombe) Vs Kano Pillars (Kano) – Bauchi – 22/05/24 – 4pm

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South Africa plans for ‘Mother-of-all-Battle’ in final Olympic qualifier with Nigeria –

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South Africa plans for ‘Mother-of-all-Battle’ in final Olympic qualifier with Nigeria -

Banyana Banyana game plan was to either beat the Super Falcons at home as they did two years ago in Lagos or earn a draw in Friday’s first leg match of Olympic qualifier in Abuja.

 

That did not happen as Rasheedat Ajibade’s penalty kick earned Nigeria an outright 1-0 win over South Africa – a first win since the Super Falcons’ 1-0 win in Limbe, Cameroon in 2016.

 

But according to an account in the South African Football Association website, “Banyana Banyana will have to give it all in the second leg.”

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It reported that Banyana Banyana came back from the first half break a much more improved side but failed to convert the few chances that came their way.

 

“Outstanding goalkeeper Kaylin Swart had to work overtime to deny the hosts from extending their lead.

“Despite creating numerous chances for an equaliser, the game ended 1-0 for the Super Falcons.”

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The two African giants will lock horns for the second leg on Tuesday at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria where coach Desiree Ellis’ charges will be hoping to overturn the deficit.

 

Coach Ellis believes they are still in the game and can turn things around in the second leg on Tuesday.

“Look, we said it was going to be a tight game but we are hopeful of overturning this result in the second leg.”

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“We are still in the game. We created a couple of chances, a penalty decided the match but the game is not over.

 

“I thought in the second half we raised our game a lot and created good chances and could have equalized.

 

“Maybe we could also have gotten a penalty at the end when Jermaine was fouled but I’m very proud of the team and we will take it back to Pretoria,” said Ellis.

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Nigeria’s Super Falcons on slippery path to Paris 2024 –

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Nigeria’s Super Falcons on slippery path to Paris 2024 -

Nigeria’s Super Falcons beat Banyana Banyana of South Africa 1-0 in their first leg of the final qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The return leg comes up on Tuesday in Pretoria.

The South Africans consider the result a good one going into the final qualifier.

Skipper of the side, Rasheedat Ajibade scored the lone goal from a penalty spot in the 43rd minute.

It is Nigeria’s first outright defeat of South Africa since 2018 when Nigeria excelled in an ensuing penalty shootout after a goalless draw in the final match of the Africa  Cup of Nations in Ghana.

In their next two matches.

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First, they pulled off a big upset beating Nigeria 4-2 to win the Aisha Buhari Cup in Lagos in September 2021 and followed up with another 2-1 win in a Group C match at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

 

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