While Vladimir Zelensky received encouraging messages from Brussels on the possibility of his country acquiring fighter aircraft of his countries NATO, Kremlin he was careful to send his own messages of determination.

Western deliveries of advanced aviation technology will only cause “pain and suffering” to Ukrainians, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian president, said yesterday, stressing that such a move would involve NATO more “directly” in the military conflict.

“This is nothing less than the increasing involvement of Britain, Germany and France in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” the Russian official said, adding that “the line between indirect and direct involvement is gradually blurring.”

Meanwhile, the German military industry Rheinmetall announced that it was ready to send the latest generation Panther tanks to Ukraine at the request of Kyiv. In order to do something like this, the green light of the German government is needed. Around the same time, former Russian President and current Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council Dmitry Medvedev visited a tank factory in Omsk, Siberia, where he stressed the need to ramp up production in the face of increased Western aid to Ukraine.

In other statements yesterday, Dmitry Peskov called for an international investigation into the sabotage of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, raising suspicions of US involvement. The reason for Peskov’s statements was the report of the Pulitzer Prize-winning American investigative journalist Seymour Hers, who, citing an anonymous source, said that the sabotage in question at the bottom of the Baltic Sea was carried out by US Navy divers on the orders of President Joe Biden. The White House denied Russia’s allegations.

For his part, Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with top officials, which was broadcast on state television, that the Russian economy has proven to be resistant to Western sanctions, contrary to the assessments of the country’s enemies, and that Western companies have ultimately suffered. themselves.

Ukrainians will suffer if you give them planes, the Kremlin warns, accusing the US of sabotaging Nord Stream 2.

“Today, many of these companies are leaving our market under pressure from their governments. To hell with him,” the Russian president said, waving his hand sarcastically in farewell. “Nothing has collapsed in Russia. Our companies and our entrepreneurs are acquiring these companies and even entire industries and continue this work with great success,” he added.

A sensation was also caused by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s statement that the mercenary company Wagner Group, founded by him, stops recruiting prisoners for the needs of the war in Ukraine.

Chinese help

Finally, an article in the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal claims that China is helping Russia to purchase the necessary components and technologies for its military industry, bypassing Western sanctions. According to the report, the Chinese state-owned military industry sends military aircraft engine parts, electronic dimming technology, navigation systems and other goods to Russia.

Chinese support for Russia’s military action was one of the key issues that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken intended to raise during his trip to Beijing, which was delayed by the Chinese balloon incident over the US.