Russia could target Western shipments of military equipment to Ukraine, a senior Moscow diplomat has said after Joe Biden warned of “World War Three”.
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia had warned the US that “pumping weapons from a number of countries it orchestrates isn’t just a dangerous move, it’s an action that makes those convoys legitimate targets”.
He also denounced the US sanctions against Moscow as an “unprecedented attempt to deal a serious blow to various sectors of the Russian economy,” but noted that Moscow will act in a measured way to avoid hurting itself.
Ryabkov said that Russia has no intention to expel Western media and businesses amid the soaring tensions with the West, adding that ”we aren’t going to escalate the situation.”
It comes after Biden has warned of “World War Three” after personally halting plans to send MiG fighter jets from Poland to Ukraine.
The US President said that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO would be catastrophic – adding that he would defend “every single inch” of the military alliance if needs be.
Poland offered its 28 twin-engine jet fighter aircraft to the US – but Biden blocked the offer, fearing it would lead to “World War Three”.
Earlier this week, Poland said it’s ready to deploy its MiG-29s to the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany and put them at the disposal of America.
Spokesman John Kirby said it would mean jets departing from a Nato base would have to fly into airspace contested with Russia.
“We will continue to consult with Poland and our other Nato allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,” he said.
