Russia has issued a stern warning to Western nations, particularly the United States, cautioning that the risk of World War Three will not be confined to Europe if the West allows Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory using Western-supplied missiles. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has served under President Vladimir Putin for over two decades, stated that the West is “playing with fire” by considering Ukrainian requests to loosen restrictions on the use of foreign-supplied weapons.
On August 6, Ukraine launched an attack on Russia’s western Kursk region, marking the most significant foreign assault on Russian soil since World War Two. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy claimed that the strike demonstrated the Kremlin’s threats of retaliation as a bluff. However, President Putin has promised a “worthy response” to the attack.
Lavrov emphasized that the West’s actions are dangerously escalating the Ukraine conflict, comparing them to “children playing with matches.” He also clarified that Russia is reviewing its nuclear doctrine, which, as of 2020, allows the use of nuclear weapons in response to attacks that threaten the existence of the Russian state. Lavrov expressed concern that the United States and its NATO allies are underestimating the global implications of such a conflict.
Kyiv has acknowledged using US, supplied HIMARS missiles in the Kursk operation but maintains that its actions are constrained by restrictions imposed by Western allies. Russia, however, remains skeptical of Western denials of involvement. Russian intelligence officials, including Sergei Naryshkin and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, have asserted that US involvement in the Kursk attack is “an obvious fact.”
Reports from ‘The New York Times’ indicate that the United States and Britain provided Ukraine with satellite imagery and other intelligence after the attack, aimed at helping Kyiv monitor Russian reinforcements. Washington has denied prior knowledge of Ukraine’s plans and insisted it played no direct role in the operation.
