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A leading official in Russia’s parliament is warning of a “global tragedy” if Ukraine gets new weapons from allies as the bitter fight between the two nations nears the 11-month mark.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of State Duma — Russia’s lower house of the country’s parliament — issued the ominous message Sunday following allies of Kyiv pledging to provide more armored vehicles, air defense systems and other equipment to take on Russian troops.
He said the countries sending more powerful weapons could lead to “global tragedy that would destroy their countries.”
“Supplies of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime would lead to a global catastrophe,” said Volodin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“If Washington and NATO supply weapons that would be used for striking peaceful cities and making attempts to seize our territory as they threaten to do, it would trigger a retaliation with more powerful weapons.”
He claimed the United States and NATO’s assistance to Ukraine has led to a “terrible war.”
Volodin has held his current post since 2016; prior to that he had a senior role in the presidential administration. He’s also a member of Putin’s Security Council — giving him regular access to the president.
While supporters vowed to send billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine during a meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday, an agreement wasn’t reached on Ukraine’s urgent request for German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks.
