Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the West on Thursday that supplying Ukraine with weapons capable of hitting Russian territory would be a “serious step towards an unacceptable escalation,” Reuters quoted the Russian news agency as saying. The head of Russian diplomacy told the Arabic-language RT channel that he hoped that sensible people in the West would understand this, adding: “There are still a few (s.s. sensible) there,” according to the agency.
From Kyiv, the Finnish Prime Minister Sana Marin stated that the Russian actions in Ukraine are a “turning point”
The Prime Minister of Finland also said on Thursday that Russia's actions in Ukraine were a turning point for the world and relations with Moscow could not return to what they were before its invasion. Prime Minister Sanaa Marin made the remarks during a trip to Ukraine that included a visit to the cities of Irpin and Butsa, where Ukraine accuses Russian troops of atrocities, a claim denied by Moscow.
“We, Finland, support all the actions of the International Criminal Court to investigate these crimes, gather information for future proceedings and condemn Russia,” Marin said after meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Ukraine. “What happened, what Russia did, is a turning point for the whole European family and for the whole world. “We see that the old regulation has been destroyed and there is no return to the previous relationship,” he said through an interpreter. He described Russia's actions in Ukraine as “an attempt against the principles of building a common European family”.
Russia denies targeting civilians and denies allegations that its troops committed atrocities as a “monstrous falsification” aimed at discrediting the Russian military. Finland, a member of the European Union, shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia. In a historic policy change following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Nordic country applied for NATO membership this month. “Helsinki also provides military assistance to Ukraine and supports Kiev's bid to join the EU.
” For us, Finnish military assistance is very valuable, “the President wrote. of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Facebook, thanking Helsinki for his support. “Arms, sanctions policy and the unity of our partners on the issue of Ukraine's accession to the EU & # 8211; that is what can give strength to the defense of our earth “. Other European leaders who have visited Kyiv since the start of the war include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and European Parliament President Roberta Metzola.
