A senior Russian official said his country could go to war with NATO if Ukraine advances into Russia with U. S. weapons.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden lifted restrictions on how Ukraine can use military materials sent through the United States.
In response, Russia’s most sensible security official, Dmitry Medvedev, issued a series of warnings to the West.
“Russia considers that all long-range weapons used through Ukraine are already controlled by the armies of NATO countries. This is not military assistance, but participation in a war against us,” Medvedev said.
“And such acts may well be a casus belli [an act that provokes a war]. “
He said it would be a “fatal mistake” for the West to think that Russia is not in a position to use tactical nuclear weapons in opposition to Ukraine, and raised the option of attacking unidentified hostile countries with strategic nuclear weapons.
“Unfortunately, this is neither intimidation nor a hoax,” Medvedev said.
He said that the clash between Moscow and the West is approaching the worst situation and that “no one can exclude today that the clash will move to its final phase”.
Read more: Latest updates on the war between Ukraine and Russia
The partially lifted U. S. restrictions mean Ukraine can use U. S. weapons to attack Russia’s interior, but still protect Kharkiv.
However, US officials are under pressure for Ukraine to still use long-range missiles and other US munitions to launch offensive moves inside Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others have made clear that U. S. restrictions are preventing Ukrainian forces from protecting themselves as Russia intensifies its attacks in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
A Putin-backed think tank also warned Thursday that Russia deserves a “demonstrative” nuclear blast to deter Ukraine from employing Western weapons on its territory.
Read more on Sky News: Ukraine launches a primary attack on a Russian base in Crimea. A DIY crowd was attacked by Russian airstrikes, killing at least 14 people.
Medvedev, the senior Russian official guilty of Friday’s threats, issues serious threats to Ukraine and the West, occasionally invoking Russian nuclear weapons.
Some commentators even claim that his outlandish statements may simply be aimed at not being recognized as a statesman and therefore a risk to Putin.
While many don’t give much thought to his threats, they may give only a glimpse of what the Kremlin is thinking, diplomats say.