Russia vows to respond to greater Western involvement in Ukraine – EURACTIV.com

Russia will respond to the West’s growing involvement in the Ukraine conflict although direct conflict with NATO is not in Moscow’s interests, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday (11 October) after Washington pledged more military aid for Kyiv.

“In response to the increasing involvement of the West in the Ukraine trouble, Russia will take the necessary measures”, Sergei Ryabkov said, adding however that direct confrontation with the United States and NATO “is not in Moscow’s interest.”

“We warn and hope that they realise the danger of uncontrolled escalation in Washington and other Western capitals,” Ryabkov said, as quoted by RIA news agency.

In separate comments, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said more Western help to Ukraine raised the risk of a wider war.

“Such assistance, as well as providing Kiev with intelligence, instructors and combat guidelines, leads to further escalation and increased the risks of a clash between Russia and NATO,” Antonov told media.

According to Antonov, US statements about readiness to provide Ukraine with additional weapons, including the latest, confer to Washington the status of participant in the conflict.

The warnings follow-up on Ukraine stating on Monday that it needed to strengthen its air defence following Russia’s biggest aerial assaults on cities since the beginning of the war, retaliation for what Moscow called a Ukrainian attack on a strategic bridge in Crimea.

US President Joe Biden and Group of Seven leaders will hold a virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss their commitment to support Ukraine, the White House said.

Biden said in a Tweet on Monday, in which he condemned the Russian missile strikes across Ukraine, that these attacks “only reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes”.

Russia’s air strikes came three days after a blast damaged the Kerch bridge it built after seizing Crimea in 2014. Russia blamed Ukraine and called the deadly explosion “terrorism”.

“To leave such acts without a response is simply impossible,” said Putin, alleging other, unspecified attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. He threatened more strikes if Ukraine hits Russian territory.

Ukraine, which views the bridge as a military target sustaining Russia’s war effort, celebrated the blast without claiming responsibility.

After weeks of setbacks on the battlefield, Russian authorities are facing the first sustained domestic criticism of the war, with commentators on state television demanding ever tougher measures.

(Edited by Georgi Gotev)