The West is “playing with fire” after the U.S. recently gave the green light to future deliveries of F-16 fighter jets to Kiev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today, condemning the “unacceptable escalation.”

“They are playing with fire. There is no doubt,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russian state television, an excerpt from which was published on social networks by journalist Pavel Zarubin who greeted him.

“This is an unacceptable escalation” from “Washington, London and their satellites within the EU.” who want to “weaken Russia,” he said.

By supplying modern weapons to Kyiv, the West wants to “inflict (Moscow) a strategic defeat” and “dismember” Russia, he added, adopting the rhetoric regularly used by the Russian leadership.

Great Turn of the West

Supporters of Kyiv refused to transfer fighter jets to the Ukrainian military for more than a year, fearing an escalation of the conflict, but on May 19, the United States finally gave the green light to the supply of F-16 fighters, which had previously been banned to Kyiv. insisting on.

It marks a major shift in Western support for Kyiv, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision “historic.”

The schedule for the delivery of these American-made F-16s and their number is not determined at this stage, and Ukrainian pilots will first have to train for several months to learn how to fly them.

But Ukraine wanted these Western planes to counter Russian aircraft and strike at the rear of Moscow troops as Kyiv says it is finalizing preparations for a major counteroffensive.

According to US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “categorically assured” him that these planes would not attack Russian territory, which is a necessary condition for Western countries before sending any equipment to Ukraine.

Source: Reuters.