Lavrov Says West Is 'Playing with Fire'
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has cautioned against discussions regarding Ukraine potentially using Western long-range missiles to target Russia. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Moscow’s Foreign Minister has issued a stark warning regarding discussions about utilizing long-range missiles to target Russian territory, labeling them as highly dangerous.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized Ukraine's calls for Western permission to deploy long-range Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia, describing these demands as a form of "blackmail."
When asked about media reports indicating that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has intensified his requests to his allies to remove restrictions on the use of Western weaponry against Russian targets, Lavrov responded, “This is blackmail, it is an attempt to create an impression that the West wants to avoid excessive escalation, but in fact this is a ruse.” He emphasized that “The West does not want to avoid escalation. The West is asking for trouble, to put it bluntly. I reckon that this is already obvious to everyone.”
Lavrov cautioned that if the West were to extend the authorization for the deployment of these weapons, it would be taking a perilous path. He mentioned, “For a long time, we have been hearing these speculations about allowing the use of not only Storm Shadow, but also US long-range missiles...”
He added, “We will repeat that playing with fire – and they are like children playing with matches – is a very dangerous thing to do for grown-ups who are entrusted with nuclear weapons in one or another Western country.”
Ukraine has been advocating for months for the use of Storm Shadows against targets within Russia. According to a recent report by The Guardian, Kiev aims to launch these missiles at key areas in Russia as “demonstration” attacks. A senior Ukrainian official suggested that Russia might consider entering negotiations only if it perceives a credible threat to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The Storm Shadow missiles, developed through an Anglo-French collaboration, are produced by the European joint venture MBDA. Since some components are sourced from the United States, the Biden administration's approval is necessary for their deployment in Russia, but has not yet been granted.
Zelensky has previously encouraged Western nations not to be deterred by the possibility of a Russian escalation, arguing that Ukraine’s operations in the Kursk Region illustrate that Moscow lacks any defined “red lines.”
The offensive that began on August 6 marks the largest assault on Russian territory since the conflict between Moscow and Kiev began in 2022. The Kremlin has reported over 6,600 Ukrainian military casualties and the destruction of approximately 800 pieces of military equipment during this incursion.
Additionally, Russia has accused Ukrainian forces of employing Western-supplied weapons in their attacks on the Kursk Region, with some of these claims corroborated by Western media reports.
Last week, Lavrov claimed, “Zelensky would never have decided [to attack Russian territory] if the United States had not instructed him to do this.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a press conference on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized Ukraine's calls for Western permission to deploy long-range Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia, describing these demands as a form of "blackmail."
When asked about media reports indicating that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has intensified his requests to his allies to remove restrictions on the use of Western weaponry against Russian targets, Lavrov responded, “This is blackmail, it is an attempt to create an impression that the West wants to avoid excessive escalation, but in fact this is a ruse.” He emphasized that “The West does not want to avoid escalation. The West is asking for trouble, to put it bluntly. I reckon that this is already obvious to everyone.”
Lavrov cautioned that if the West were to extend the authorization for the deployment of these weapons, it would be taking a perilous path. He mentioned, “For a long time, we have been hearing these speculations about allowing the use of not only Storm Shadow, but also US long-range missiles...”
He added, “We will repeat that playing with fire – and they are like children playing with matches – is a very dangerous thing to do for grown-ups who are entrusted with nuclear weapons in one or another Western country.”
Ukraine has been advocating for months for the use of Storm Shadows against targets within Russia. According to a recent report by The Guardian, Kiev aims to launch these missiles at key areas in Russia as “demonstration” attacks. A senior Ukrainian official suggested that Russia might consider entering negotiations only if it perceives a credible threat to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The Storm Shadow missiles, developed through an Anglo-French collaboration, are produced by the European joint venture MBDA. Since some components are sourced from the United States, the Biden administration's approval is necessary for their deployment in Russia, but has not yet been granted.
Zelensky has previously encouraged Western nations not to be deterred by the possibility of a Russian escalation, arguing that Ukraine’s operations in the Kursk Region illustrate that Moscow lacks any defined “red lines.”
The offensive that began on August 6 marks the largest assault on Russian territory since the conflict between Moscow and Kiev began in 2022. The Kremlin has reported over 6,600 Ukrainian military casualties and the destruction of approximately 800 pieces of military equipment during this incursion.
Additionally, Russia has accused Ukrainian forces of employing Western-supplied weapons in their attacks on the Kursk Region, with some of these claims corroborated by Western media reports.
Last week, Lavrov claimed, “Zelensky would never have decided [to attack Russian territory] if the United States had not instructed him to do this.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
