Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov minced no words today in warning the U.S. that its military support for Ukraine is a threat to Russia’s security, which is also turning that country into a “powder keg,” Reuters reported. In the event of an escalation of the situation, he warned, Russia would do everything necessary to defend its own security. “If there is any aggravation, we of course will do everything to ensure our security and the safety of our citizens, wherever they are,” Ryabkov said, clearly referring to residents of Donbas who hold Russian passports. “But Kiev and its allies in the West will be entirely responsible for the consequences of a hypothetical exacerbation,” he declared.
His remarks came as two U.S. warships are scheduled to arrive in the Black Sea later this week, which he called a provocation “designed to test Russia’s nerves,” according to Reuters. He is quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that “the United States is our adversary and does everything it can to undermine Russia’s position on the world stage.” Ryabkov warned the U.S. that “it would be better for them to stay far away [from Crimea] for its own good.”
