Moscow calls tanks deliveries to Ukraine 'direct involvement' of European countries, NATO in 'conflict'

Raising the specter of escalation of the Ukraine war, a Kremlin spokesman said Thursday that Russia sees European and NATO countries supplying weapons to Ukraine – including a host of just-announced tank supplies – as their "direct involvement" in the "conflict."

"Statements are constantly being made from European capitals and Washington that sending various weapons systems, including tanks, to Ukraine in no case means that these countries or the alliance are involved in the fighting that is taking place in Ukraine. We categorically disagree with this," Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing in Moscow.

"In Moscow, everything that the alliance and the capitals I mentioned are doing is perceived as direct involvement in the conflict," he explained.
He added that Moscow noted that this involvement has been growing.