MOSCOW (Reuters): Russia’s embassy to Britain on Wednesday warned London against sending fighter jets to Ukraine, saying such a move would have serious military and political ramifications for the entire world, the TASS news agency reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in London on Wednesday, where he called on Britain to give Ukraine fighter jets as the next stage in the West’s supplies of weapons to help Kyiv fight off the Russian invasion.
Britain said it would start training Ukrainian pilots in how to fly advanced NATO-standard fighter jets, but has not yet pledged to send planes.
In a statement cited by Russian state news agencies, the Russian embassy said the “bloodshed, next round of escalation and resulting military and political consequences for the European continent and the entire world”, that would come about from the sending of advanced fighter jets to Ukraine would be on London’s conscience.
“Russia will find a way to respond to any unfriendly steps taken by the British side,” TASS quoted the embassy as saying.
Moscow has repeatedly accused the West of “dragging out” the conflict in Ukraine by supplying Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of advanced military equipment.
Kyiv and the West says the hardware has been crucial in helping them fight back against what they call Russia’s illegal war of aggression.
