Russian Politicians Warns Western Governments: Arming Ukraine Will Result In 'Global Tragedy That Would Destroy Their Countries'

The Russian parliament’s lower house speaker is warning that the countries supplying Ukraine with powerful weapons risk their own destruction.

State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said that nations providing more powerful weapons to Ukraine could cause a “global tragedy that would destroy their countries,” reports the Associated Press. 

“If Washington and NATO supply weapons that would be used for striking peaceful cities and making attempts to seize our territory as they threaten to do, it would trigger a retaliation with more powerful weapons,” AP quoted him saying. 

Despite the threat, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he is open to sending Leclerc battle tanks to Ukraine and has asked his defense minister to “work on” the idea.

Also Read: Putin Ready To Negotiate 'Some Acceptable Outcomes' To End War

While Germany has provided weaponry to Ukraine, the decision to send their Leopard 2 battle tanks to the country has not yet been made.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said that his country was prepared to build a “smaller coalition” of countries that would send the German-made tanks in their stockpiles to Ukraine.

As per AP, two leading Washington lawmakers urged the U.S. government to send some of its Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Both Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) called for the shipment of the tanks.

The secretary of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Council Oleksii Danilov has warned that Russia may try to intensify its attacks in the south and in the east, and to cut supply channels of Western weapons.

Ukraine is seeking more weapons as it anticipates Russia may launch a new offensive in the spring.

Photo: Mark Steele on flickr