RUSSIA WARNS OTHER COUNTRIES: DON’T SELL ARMS TO UKRAINE

Moscow is warning countries not to supply weapons to Kiev, amid an escalation in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Christian Thiele, Andreas Stein and Ansgar Haase reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

"We urge all responsible countries that we communicate with - and Turkey is one of them - that we strongly recommend they analyze the situation and the Kiev regime’s constant belligerent statements, and we also warn them against encouraging these militaristic aspirations," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying Monday in Egypt by the Itar-TASS news agency.

The warning comes against a background of Turkey delivering combat drones, for which Ukraine had signed a contract in 2019. Half a dozen have already been delivered, according to media reports.

According to the Defense Ministry in Kiev, further contracts for the delivery of combat drones, including ammunition as well as for the construction of patrol boats, were concluded in December.

Lavrov also criticized the deployment of US warships to the Black Sea, saying the question remains unanswered as to what the US wanted there, thousands of kilometers away from its own territory.

According to Turkey, the US had given notice of passage of warships through the Black Sea straits by May 4. Amid the seven-year conflict, reports of Russian troop movements towards the Ukrainian border have recently caused international concern. Parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions along the Russian border have been under the control of pro-Moscow fighters since 2014.

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