Russia Warns US Close to Making ‘Fatal’ Miscalculation Over Ukraine

Russia's deputy foreign minister says the US must heed Putin's warnings about Ukraine striking Russian territory with US weapons

by Dave DeCamp June 3, 2024

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/06/03/russia-warns-us-close-to-making-fatal-miscalculation-over-ukraine/

On Monday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov warned the US to listen to warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin about allowing Ukraine to strike Russian territory with American-made weapons.

“I would like to caution American officials against miscalculations which may have fatal consequences. For some unknown reason, they underestimate the seriousness of the rebuff they may receive,” Ryabkov said, according to the Russian news agency TASS.

“I am urging these officials who seemingly are not bothered by anything, to take some time away from playing computer games, which is apparently what they are doing, given their light-hearted approach to serious issues, and take a closer look at what Putin said, particularly at a press conference following talks in Tashkent,” he added, referring to a warning Putin issued during a recent visit to Uzbekistan.

Putin said there would be “serious consequences” for any NATO country that allowed Ukraine to hit Russian territory with its weapons. “This constant escalation can lead to serious consequences. If these serious consequences occur in Europe, how will the US behave, bearing in mind our parity in the field of strategic weapons? Hard to say. Do they want global conflict?” Putin said.

Ryabkov called Putin’s comments “a very significant warning, and it should be treated with the utmost seriousness.”

Russia also previously warned the UK that it would strike British military sites in Ukraine “and beyond” if British weapons were used on Russian territory.

US and other Western officials have shrugged off the warnings despite the major risk of escalation. “This is nothing new. It has … been the case for a long time that every time NATO allies are providing support to Ukraine, President Putin is trying to threaten us to not do that,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday.

Despite Stoltenberg’s comments, the risk of Russian retaliation is very high since Putin has a history of escalating the war in Ukraine in direct response to attacks on Russian territory. For example, Russia did not begin major strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure until after the first bombing of the Crimean Bridge in October 2022.

Putin has also said that Russia’s new offensive in Kharkiv is a response to Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, which borders Kharkiv. He said the purpose of the offensive was to create a “buffer zone” to prevent attacks on Belgorod.