Russia has warned the West of a tough military response to any further attack on Russian territory, accusing the United States and its key European allies of openly inciting Ukraine to assault Russia.
This is coming as the tension remains quite high between the United States and its Western allies on one side and Kremlin on the other side, after the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, on Monday said the threat of a nuclear war is very significant and the risks should not be underestimated.
This was disclosed by the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, while speaking to journalists in Moscow, saying that the West has been openly calling on Kyiv to attack Russia including with the use of weapons received from NATO countries.
What the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman is saying
Zakharova said, “In the West, they are openly calling on Kyiv to attack Russia including with the use of weapons received from NATO countries.
“I don’t advise you to test our patience further. Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that if such attacks continued then Moscow would target decision-making centres in Ukraine, including those where it said Western advisers were helping Kyiv.
“Kyiv and West capitals should take the statement from the Ministry of Defence seriously that further inciting of Ukraine to strike Russian territory will definitely lead to a tough response from Russia.’’
Zakharova described the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a puppet of the West, who was been used by the United States to threaten Russia.
She said, “You are being used.’’
The United States has ruled out sending its own or NATO forces to Ukraine but Washington and its European allies have supplied weapons to Kyiv such as drones, Howitzer heavy artillery, anti-aircraft Stinger and anti-tank Javelin missiles.
What you should know
- Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, thousands of people have been killed with several million displaced, raising fears of the most serious confrontation between Russia and the United States since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
- Russia had a few days ago accused the Ukrainian forces of series of attacks on Russian regions which border Ukraine, and has warned that such attacks risk a significant escalation.
- Ukraine has not directly accepted responsibility but says the incidents are payback, while Russia has taken serious offence at statements from NATO-member Britain that it is legitimate for Ukraine to target Russian logistics.
- Ukraine has been receiving military and financial assistance from the United States, Britain and NATO countries since the breakout of the war with Russia.
- The United States Government had earlier said that its total security assistance since the invasion amounts to about $3.7 billion.
- President Vladimir Putin had said that such large arms shipments as part of a broader plan by the United States and its allies to destroy Russia – and has promised that it will never succeed.
- Putin says the “special military operation” in Ukraine is necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia and Moscow had to defend against the persecution of Russian-speaking people.
- Meanwhile, Ukraine says it is fighting an imperial-style land grab and that Putin’s claims of genocide are nonsense, with a plea to U.S. and European leaders to supply Kyiv with heavier arms and equipment.