Supply of weapons to Ukraine capable of striking Russia to 'mark new stage in conflict,' Kremlin warns

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Supply of weapons to Ukraine that are capable to hit Russian territory will mark a new stage in the conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov stressed that even the discussion about supplies of weapons to Ukraine for strikes on Russian territory is extremely dangerous.

The official added that Ukraine already has this kind of weapons "with the help of which it constantly, daily, carries out strikes on Russian territory."

"This will mean bringing the conflict to a new qualitative level, which, of course, will not bode well from the point of view of global pan-European security," he said.

He added that the version of Russian ambassador to US Anatoly Antonov, who said Moscow will not leave unanswered strikes on Russia, reflect the official position.

Peskov called "understandable" remarks by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who said he is not sure that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is still alive, because for Kyiv it would be "psychologically more comfortable if neither Russia nor Putin existed."

"The sooner the Ukrainian regime realizes and recognizes that both Russia and Putin are and will be, and that sooner or later it will still have to give up everything anti-Russian, the better for a country like Ukraine," he said.

The spokesman then hastened Ukraine to show readiness "to take into account the demands of Russia, which will be achieved one way or another," in order to sooner end "the tragedy."

About the remarks of the deputy head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, who said Russia's defeat in a conventional conflict may lead to a nuclear war, Peskov said this position does not contradict the country's military doctrine, without giving any further explanations.

In December last year Putin said that the Russian military doctrine only allows defensive use of nuclear weapons in response to an external attack or if Russia's existence is in doubt because of an attack with use of conventional weapons.

Asked why Russian energy giant Gazprom has been decreasing gas deliveries via Ukraine in recent days, Peskov said: "This is a question for the company. After all, we are talking about commercial supplies, so I can't say. This is corporate information."