Lavrov: emergence of F-16 fighters in Ukraine will be considered by Russian Federation as threat in nuclear sphere

The fact of the appearance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of F-16 fighters will be considered by Russia as a threat from the West in the nuclear sphere. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with the newspaper “Lenta.ru”.

The Russian Foreign Minister drew attention to the fact that “the USA and their NATO satellites create the risks of a direct armed clash with Russia,” which “fraught with catastrophic consequences.”

At the same time, the Russian minister cited “only one example of an extremely dangerous development of events – US plans for the transfer of F -16 fighters to the Kyiv regime.” “We informed the nuclear powers – the USA, the UK and France that Russia cannot ignore the ability of these aircraft to carry nuclear weapons. No assurances will help here. In the course of the fighting, our military will not understand whether each particular plane of this type is equipped for the delivery of nuclear or not. The very fact of the emergence of such systems in the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be considered by us as a threat from the West in the nuclear sphere, ”said Lavrov.

Commenting on the question of the possibility of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons in the Ukrainian conflict, the Foreign Minister said that Moscow has repeatedly spoke out on this topic.

“The conditions for Russia’s use of nuclear weapons are clearly defined in our military doctrine. They are well known, and I will not repeat them once again,” the minister said.

According to the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, after the start of the “special military operation” of the USA and other NATO countries and the European Union (EU), they sharply activated the hybrid war against Russia, which, in his opinion, they started back in 2014.

“The aggressive steps of unfriendly states create an existential threat to Russia. There is no doubt about this. We will have to defend our right to free and sovereign development by all available means. It is also obvious that there will be no return to previous relations with unfriendly countries. If if there will be no longer. They suddenly decide to abandon the anti -Russian course, then we will see what specifically is talking about, and we will determine the further line with support on our interests. This is regarding the collective West, ”the minister,

At the same time, the state of structural partners of the laurels of the state of the EAEU, CSTO, CIS, SCO, BRICS.

“Together with friends and like -minded people, they intend to promote the formation of a more fair world order based on the goals and principles of the UN Charter in their fullness and interconnection, and above all on the principle of sovereign equality of states,” he said.