Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are in an escalating confrontation with Russia, warning about the arms supply to Ukraine.
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"NATO citizens should know that their bloc is fully engaged in a confrontation with our country, and this confrontation is escalating," Zakharova told a briefing.
The spokeswoman referred to NATO's involvement by referring to the recent decision of Germany and the U.S. to send tanks, as well as the creation of recruiting posts in Ukrainian embassies abroad.
"Any Western weapons arriving in Ukraine become a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces," said the spokeswoman, who added that "the supply of tanks will, of course, not change the situation to the benefit of the Kiev regime, but will bring the countries of the West to a new level of confrontation against our country and our people."
Zakharova's remarks came after German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said this week during the meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that European countries were "waging a war against Russia."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the Alliance was not and would not be a party to the conflict and would not send troops or aircraft there either. Zakharova called his statements "criminal hypocrisy."
Germany has also said that supporting Ukraine does not make Germany a party to the conflict. Berlin confirmed on Wednesday this week that it will send 14 Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine, while authorizing the shipment of these tanks from other countries.
The U.S. has also announced that it will supply Kiev with a total of 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks in the coming months.