Rus: "Western tank support is direct intervention" backlash

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] On the 26th (local time), Russia stated that the Western countries, including the United States and Germany, providing tanks to Ukraine means direct involvement in the conflict.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has decided to allow sending Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, German media reported on the 24th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to TASS news agency and others, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said during a telephone conference with reporters that the West's decision to support Ukraine with tanks is regarded as "direct involvement in this conflict by all actions of the United States and Europe. And such moves continue to increase."

He added, "The United States and Europe have repeatedly stated that supporting various weapon systems such as tanks does not mean involvement in hostile acts in Ukraine, but we absolutely do not agree with this."

Spokesperson Peskov also stated that regardless of this tank support, Russia's military operations will proceed as planned.

Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Russian Security Council, also claimed in an interview with Interfax news agency on the same day that this tank support "shows that the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are trying to prolong the conflict while becoming direct parties to the conflict."

Earlier, on the previous day, the United States and Germany decided to support Ukraine with their main battle tanks, the Abrams and Leopard 2 respectively, and Western countries announced that they would send more than 80 modern tanks to Ukraine.