In a stark warning to the United States, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov cautioned against the potentially "fatal consequences" of allowing Ukraine to utilize U.S.-supplied weaponry against targets within Russia.
The warning was issued on Monday, amid escalating tensions in the region.
Ryabkov, in a statement carried by Russian state news agency Tass, admonished American leaders to avoid miscalculations that could lead to disastrous outcomes. "For some unknown reason, they underestimate the seriousness of the rebuff they may receive," he said.
The Deputy Foreign Minister further emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly issued warnings on the matter, which he said should be taken with "the utmost seriousness."
This warning comes in the wake of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's announcement last week that the White House had approved a Ukrainian request to deploy U.S.-supplied weapons against targets in Russian territory, specifically near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. This authorization was granted for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv.
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, is situated a mere 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Russia and has been subjected to relentless and escalating daily attacks, including numerous airstrikes.
Blinken, during a press conference, underscored the U.S.'s commitment to supporting Ukraine. "The hallmark of our engagement, our support for Ukraine over these more than two years has been to adapt and adjust as necessary to meet what's actually going on on the battlefield," he said.
The Secretary of State further explained that the U.S. had responded to Ukraine's request for authorization to use the provided weapons to defend against Russian aggression. "And that went right to the [U.S.] president. And, as you've heard, he's approved the use of our weapons for that purpose," Blinken added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the U.S. concession during a press conference in Sweden last week. "I think, anyway, this is some step forward to that goal which we discussed before: to make [a] possibility to defend our people who live in the villages through the border line, and that's it. For today, that's it," he said.
Following the U.S.'s shift in stance, Germany also authorized Ukraine to strike certain targets on Russian soil using the long-range weapons supplied by Europe's leading economy. However, like the U.S., Germany specifically allows this use for the purpose of defending Kharkiv.
Throughout Moscow's full-scale invasion, the U.S. and European allies have provided Kyiv with military support and arsenal for self-defense. However, they have refrained from outright endorsements of deploying their weapons into Russian territory, which could provoke Moscow's retaliation and escalate the conflict.
Western nations have also shied away from the formal deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine, despite isolated comments from French President Emmanuel Macron and recent signals from Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski suggesting that countries should not dismiss this possibility.
Russia is also suspected of using Iran-made Shahed drones in its hostilities against Ukraine, a claim Tehran denies, stating it did not provide weapons for this purpose.
The change in stance on deploying Western weapons into Russian territories has sparked questions over whether the F-16 fighter jets expected imminently in Ukraine will also be permitted to strike on Russian soil.
"I'm not sure that for today we have [the] possibility to use these jets on the territory of Russia, we will see. We began to speak about it, and I think that using any weapon, Western kind of weapon, on the territory of Russia, it's ... it's a question of time, I think so," Zelenskyy said last week, arguing that Russian troops can otherwise continue capitalizing on carrying out offensives from borderline positions. "This way, they attack, and we can't."
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