Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Western nations were “playing with fire” by agreeing to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, describing the move as an “unacceptable escalation” of the conflict.
In an excerpt from a Russian television interview, Mr Lavrov said: “It’s playing with fire, without a doubt”.
Mr Lavrov denounced it as an attempt to “weaken Russia” by “Washington, London and their satellites in the EU.”
Earlier this month, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte agreed to work together to build an “international coalition” to help support Ukraine with training and procurement of F-16 jets. Washington later agreed to allow Western allies to send their US-made jets to Ukraine.
In other news, Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov has said Kyiv “has become a symbol of Ukraine’s unbreakable spirit and the Kremlin’s failed imperial ambitions” in a post on social media to commemorate Kyiv Day.
Mr Reznikov wrote on Twitter on Sunday: “Last night, Kyiv survived one of the largest Russian air attacks since the beginning of the war. They have failed yet again. Kyiv stands strong.
“They didn’t take you in 3 days. They couldn’t intimidate you in 459 days. They will be defeated.”
Meanwhile, the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, congratulated the Ukrainian capital city on Kyiv Day, and called it an “unbreakable city”, following the biggest night of drone strikes since the war began which mainly targeted the capital.
Ms Zelenska shared a video on Twitter celebrating Kyiv Day, where citizens from around the city are presented with bouquets of flower balloons.
Alongside the video, she wrote: “Congratulations on your day, Kyiv! And to all the people in whom your heart beats. After nights under fire, all the trials and tribulations, they work, rescue and volunteer more and more.
“For the sake of everyone who holds [Ukraine] together. Unbreakable people in the unbreakable city!”
