The future delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine was classified as a “nuclear” threat by the chief of Russian diplomacy on Thursday.
Moscow is sharpening its tone on the F-16 fighter jets that western Ukraine has promised.
“We will consider the mere fact that the Ukrainian armed forces have such systems as a nuclear threat from the West,” said the head of Russian diplomacy Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, July 13, in an interview with the online Newspaper Lenta .ru.
“Russia cannot ignore the ability of these devices to carry nuclear charges,” the Russian minister said, assuring that Moscow had warned the United States, the United Kingdom and France.
“Risks of Direct Armed Confrontation with Russia”
“The United States and its NATO satellites face the risk of a direct armed confrontation with Russia, and the consequences could be catastrophic,” Sergei Lavrov added.
The United States approved the delivery of F-16s to Ukraine in May, although the delivery schedule of these US-made aircraft and their numbers have not been halted.
Kiev on Tuesday announced it would form a “coalition” of 11 countries to train its pilots in F-16 aircraft.