Moscow again threatens nuclear weapons and third world war: NATO intervened in conflict

Speaking on the 61st day of the war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that continuing shipments of supplies and weapons to Ukraine meant that NATO's alliance has positioned itself as “essentially engaged in war with Russia” and accused the organisation of <x2nd> of firing”, says SkyNews.

The diplomat also warned against provoking a third world war and said the threat of a nuclear conflict “should not be underestimated”.

Lavrov said weapons supplied by Western countries “would be a legitimate target”, adding that Russian forces had already hit weapons depots in western Ukraine.

He accused Ukrainian leaders of provoking Russia by asking NATO get involved in the conflict. Lavrov continued: “NATO, in essence, is involved in a war with Russia through a representative and is arming that representative.

“War means war”

His comments came after it was announced that the US will allocate another $713m military assistance, but that this would not go directly to Ukraine, but NATO members.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is scheduled to visit Russia today and Ukraine late this week.

Guterres, who has put pressure on a humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine, will meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow today and later with Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.

The city of Marioupolis, which has been seriously damaged during the war, will be included in talks in Moscow. Earlier, Lavrov had also claimed there was a significant “risk for the conflict to escalate into nuclear weapons.

However, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba dismissed the comments as bravado, writing in Titeter after Mr. Lavrov's interview: “This only means Moscow feels loss”.