Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday warned the West against further support for Ukraine’s missile attacks on Russian military targets. He stressed that Russia’s patience “has limits”, commenting on the latest strikes carried out with the help of US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow.
“The limit of patience is near”
Speaking on Russian television during a visit to Kazakhstan with President Vladimir Putin, Lavrov said:
“We have always been cautious, but if we start acting decisively, it will be hard to stop us.”
These words came in response to a new escalation in the conflict after the US, UK and France allowed Ukraine to launch strikes on Russian territory. Over the past week, Ukraine has carried out several attacks, including on S-400 air defence systems and an airfield in the Kursk region, using long-range missiles.
Russia’s response: new threats and weapons
Moscow has already responded by launching the Oreshnik hypersonic missile at the Dnipro plant and officially announced a lower threshold for the use of nuclear weapons in its new military doctrine.
The wording of such responses, as well as the threats made by senior officials, have intensified. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that the transfer of nuclear weapons to Ukraine, which Washington is allegedly considering, would be regarded as a direct nuclear attack.
“This will be the basis for Russia’s response with nuclear weapons,” Medvedev said.
Ukraine and the West: Increased support amid political changes in the US
These strikes became possible after the approval of US President Joe Biden’s administration. Against the backdrop of an impending change of power in Washington (Donald Trump’s likely return to the White House), the Biden administration is trying to maximise military support for Ukraine.
The New York Times even reported on the possibility of transferring nuclear weapons to Ukraine, although the article notes that this step is “difficult and risky”.
“The actions of Ukraine and its Western allies are leading humanity to a catastrophe,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
Escalation: a step towards direct conflict?
Putin has warned NATO that helping Ukraine to carry out attacks on Russia is tantamount to direct involvement in the conflict. In his view, the Ukrainian military cannot carry out such attacks without the active assistance of Western countries in planning and navigation.
The Russian side continues to escalate its rhetoric of a “decisive and symmetrical response”, which threatens not only regional but also global security.
