Moscow has sent a clear warning to Washington, saying that it would not allow Kiev to launch an attack against the Russian territory with the help of weapons being supplied by the US.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed his concern in an interview with Russian state television and termed such a stand as irresponsible and full of dangerous consequences.
“This stance is irresponsible, the position is perilous with its consequences."
Peskov's remarks were in response to a report published in the New York Times, alleging that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is inclined towards endorsing such strikes on Russian soil and is endeavoring to convince President Joe Biden to lift existing restrictions.
He pointed to unceasing provocation of an escalation not only in Washington but also in a number of European capitals, explaining it by "hotheads" prevailing over the US and continuing to stir up the situation. He argued that experts all over the world agree that nothing can change the course of events with the delivery of arms, claiming such actions are prolonging the Ukrainians' agony.
There are “hotheads in the US who see it as their job to keep adding fuel to the fire”.
“It is now obvious to all experts that no weapons are capable of somehow turning the tide in the zone of the special military operation,” said the close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, using Russia’s term for the war in Ukraine.
While the US State Department did not confirm or deny the New York Times report, Blinken reiterated America's commitment to helping Ukraine win the war, in his latest visit to Kiev. He said that, while the US has not encouraged or enabled strikes outside Ukraine, the decision is Ukraine's alone in defense of its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
"We have not encouraged or enabled strikes outside of Ukraine, but ultimately Ukraine has to make decisions for itself about how it's going to conduct this war, a war it's conducting in defence of its freedom, of its sovereignty, of its territorial integrity," he said in the Ukrainian capital.
"And we will continue to back Ukraine with the equipment that it needs to succeed, that it needs to win."
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has implored the US and its Western allies to allow the use of supplied weapons for strikes on Russia; a request yet to be granted. For now, Ukraine mostly uses homegrown armaments for such operations.
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