Russia warns arms supplies to Ukraine could lead to unacceptable escalation

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the West that supplying weapons to Ukraine capable of hitting Russian territory would be "a serious step towards unacceptable escalation", Tass news agency said on Thursday.

Lavrov told the RT Arabic channel that he hoped sane people in the West would understand this, adding "There are still a few left there", RIA quoted him as saying.

MOSCOW ACCUSES KYIV OF UNWILLINGNESS TO NEGOTIATE

Lavrov has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of being unwilling to negotiate and the West of supporting Kyiv in this stance.
Zelensky had previously said he would only negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin if Moscow retreated to pre-invasion borders.
"It suits the West to support this inflexibility that is not intellectually very well-founded," Lavrov told the Arabic-language branch of the state broadcaster RT.
Peace talks came to a standstill after the alleged atrocities committed by the Russian forces in Kyiv suburbs came to light.