Russian MP Mykhailo Sheremet said on Friday that Western support for Ukraine during its invasion of Russian territory brought the world closer to total global war. This was reported by the RIA news agency with reference to Reuters.

Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Russia’s Kursk region on August 6, and since then Russian authorities have been forced to evacuate more than 200,000 residents from their homes due to a significant offensive by Ukrainian forces.

“Given Western military equipment, ammunition and missiles used to attack civilian targets, as well as evidence of foreign involvement in these operations, the world is on the brink of World War III,” said Sheremet, quoted by RIA.

Sheremet, a member of the Russian parliament’s defense committee, echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims that NATO countries allegedly authorized the Ukrainian invasion, a charge Washington strongly denies.

Putin’s deputy Mykola Patrushev on Friday also accused the West of involvement in the attack on the Kursk region. In his interview with the Izvestia newspaper, he claimed that NATO and Western special services participated in the planning of the operation, but did not provide any evidence.

At the same time, Ukraine and its allies claim that Russia receives military aid from China, Iran and North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his support for Russia on Friday, saying he was confident of Moscow’s victory in the “holy war for peace and justice.”