Russia warns US off sending long-range weapons to Ukraine

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — A senior Russian diplomat has sternly warned Washington against supplying long-range weapons to Ukraine. He noted that the U.S. is balancing on the edge of direct involvement in the conflict. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also pointed to Russia’s military doctrine that envisages the use of nuclear weapons in case of a threat to the existence of the Russian state. Speaking on state television, Ryabkov said that by boosting weapons supplies to Ukraine the U.S. “effectively puts itself in a state close to what can be described as a party to the conflict.” He warned against the deliveries of longer-range and more devastating U.S. weapons, saying that it’s ”fraught with grave consequences.”