It is Dangerous: Sergey Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has urged Washington not to joke about Russia's red lines regarding the Ukrainian issue. "They (the U.S.) must understand that joking about our red lines is unacceptable. And they know very well where those lines are drawn," Lavrov stated in a commentary directed at journalist Pavel Zarubin while responding to a question about the prospects of missile supplies for Kyiv's F-16 fighters. The video has been posted on the journalist’s Telegram channel.

According to the Russian Foreign Minister, the U.S. is starting to lose the sense of mutual restraint with Russia. "This is dangerous," Lavrov emphasized.

He further mentioned, "John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said that they should approach increasing support for Ukraine with great caution to avoid starting a third world war, as he laments the impact on Europe. This means they have the belief that no one will touch them. This undermines all the principles on which the agreements regarding Soviet-American strategic stability were based, which later evolved and were reaffirmed with the Russian Federation."

Lavrov noted that the Americans have already "crossed the threshold that they themselves set" regarding arms supplies to Kyiv. "They (the U.S.) are being deceived, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is certainly aware of this and is taking advantage of it," he said.

Lavrov expressed hope that there are still sensible people in the U.S. who can assess the consequences of arms transfers and that their position will be taken into account. "I am confident that there are sensible people there who have some influence. And I hope that America’s interests will be considered," Lavrov concluded.

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that supplying Kyiv with new weapons, including F-16s, will not change the situation on the battlefield but will prolong the conflict. He also noted that if those fighters appear in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they will burn just like other military equipment promoted by the West.