Russia Says It Reserves Right to 'Proportionate Response' Over NATO, EU Actions
A Russian diplomat said NATO and EU military facilities in Ukraine used to strike Russian territory are legitimate targets.
Russian diplomat Yulia Zhdanova said Moscow reserves the right to respond proportionately to actions by NATO and the European Union, arguing that any military facilities belonging to NATO or EU member states in Ukraine used to strike Russian territory constitute legitimate military targets.
The statement reflects Russia's continued position that Western military assistance to Ukraine, including any facilities or equipment tied to member states, could be treated as part of the conflict rather than as separate from it, a framing NATO and EU officials have consistently rejected.
NATO has said its support for Ukraine, including training, equipment and intelligence sharing, does not make the alliance a direct party to the conflict, while member states have varied in how much of their military assistance to Ukraine they disclose publicly.
Zhdanova's comments add to a pattern of Russian statements warning against direct Western involvement in the war, even as NATO and EU countries have continued to provide Ukraine with military and other support since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Neither NATO nor the EU issued an immediate formal response to the specific remarks.
Sources
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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