Russia warns Israel against supplying weapons to Ukraine

Vladimir Putin

Russia yesterday warned Israel against delivering weapons to Ukraine after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "considering" military aid to Kyiv.

"With regard to the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, we do not classify countries according to geography. However, we say that all countries that deliver weapons must understand that we will consider these weapons as legitimate targets for the Russian armed forces," said Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Since the beginning of the Russian attack on Ukraine in February last year, Israel has adopted a cautious stance towards Moscow and sought to remain neutral.

Israel stressed the special relations between the two countries; more than one million citizens of the former Soviet Union live in Israel.

Zakharova warned: "Any attempt, implemented or even announced but not yet implemented, to supply additional or new weapons leads to and will lead to an escalation of this crisis."