06:03Mandatory credit: Sky News Arabia channel
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during an interview to Sky News Arabia on Friday denied the US' claims that Moscow was purchasing missiles from Tehran and Pyongyang.
"We interact with Iran, DPRK, or any other country economically, politically and in the military-technical sphere strictly within the framework of international law, violating none of our international commitments. It means nothing, if the United States invents ten tall tales per day, accusing us of all mortal sins. Or rather, it means just one thing: they don't like Russia as a rival in the international arena," he said.
Touching upon the issue of Ukraine requests to use the long-range missiles against Russia, Lavrov said Moscow has weapons which have a potential to 'involve grave consequences' for the West.
"No one wants a nuclear war. We said this time and again. Let me assure you that we have weapons whose use will involve grave consequences for the masters of the Ukrainian regime. These weapons are available and on full alert status," he stressed.
Western countries regularly supply Ukraine with weapons, but there is currently a ban on long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory.
At the same time, on 10 September, US President Joe Biden did not rule out that Washington would lift the ban on using US long-range weapons for strikes against Russia.
In turn, Putin said that Kiev's use of such weaponry would "mean nothing but direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States, European countries in the war in Ukraine" and added that it "considerably changes… the very nature of the conflict, implying that NATO countries… are at war with Russia."
It came ahead of a key meeting between UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden in Washington on Friday. Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for the capability to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, and for all restrictions to be lifted.
Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on 7 June, Russian political scientist Sergei Karaganov claimed that "accelerating nuclear escalation could save a large number of lives" and urged Putin to move decisively in this direction.
"We have a nuclear doctrine, [and everything is written there on the use of nuclear weapons]. <...> Everything is written in there: use is possible in exceptional circumstances - in case of threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. In exceptional circumstances. I do not think that such an eventuality has occurred - there is no such need. But this doctrine is a living instrument, and we are carefully watching what is happening in the world and around us, and we do not exclude making some amendments to this doctrine," Putin responded.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
US 'tall tales' on alleged weaponry supply to Russia by Iran and DPRK mean 'nothing' - Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during an interview to Sky News Arabia on Friday denied the US' claims that Moscow was purchasing missiles from Tehran and Pyongyang.
"We interact with Iran, DPRK, or any other country economically, politically and in the military-technical sphere strictly within the framework of international law, violating none of our international commitments. It means nothing, if the United States invents ten tall tales per day, accusing us of all mortal sins. Or rather, it means just one thing: they don't like Russia as a rival in the international arena," he said.
Touching upon the issue of Ukraine requests to use the long-range missiles against Russia, Lavrov said Moscow has weapons which have a potential to 'involve grave consequences' for the West.
"No one wants a nuclear war. We said this time and again. Let me assure you that we have weapons whose use will involve grave consequences for the masters of the Ukrainian regime. These weapons are available and on full alert status," he stressed.
Western countries regularly supply Ukraine with weapons, but there is currently a ban on long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory.
At the same time, on 10 September, US President Joe Biden did not rule out that Washington would lift the ban on using US long-range weapons for strikes against Russia.
In turn, Putin said that Kiev's use of such weaponry would "mean nothing but direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States, European countries in the war in Ukraine" and added that it "considerably changes… the very nature of the conflict, implying that NATO countries… are at war with Russia."
It came ahead of a key meeting between UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden in Washington on Friday. Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for the capability to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, and for all restrictions to be lifted.
Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on 7 June, Russian political scientist Sergei Karaganov claimed that "accelerating nuclear escalation could save a large number of lives" and urged Putin to move decisively in this direction.
"We have a nuclear doctrine, [and everything is written there on the use of nuclear weapons]. <...> Everything is written in there: use is possible in exceptional circumstances - in case of threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. In exceptional circumstances. I do not think that such an eventuality has occurred - there is no such need. But this doctrine is a living instrument, and we are carefully watching what is happening in the world and around us, and we do not exclude making some amendments to this doctrine," Putin responded.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Mandatory credit: Sky News Arabia channel
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during an interview to Sky News Arabia on Friday denied the US' claims that Moscow was purchasing missiles from Tehran and Pyongyang.
"We interact with Iran, DPRK, or any other country economically, politically and in the military-technical sphere strictly within the framework of international law, violating none of our international commitments. It means nothing, if the United States invents ten tall tales per day, accusing us of all mortal sins. Or rather, it means just one thing: they don't like Russia as a rival in the international arena," he said.
Touching upon the issue of Ukraine requests to use the long-range missiles against Russia, Lavrov said Moscow has weapons which have a potential to 'involve grave consequences' for the West.
"No one wants a nuclear war. We said this time and again. Let me assure you that we have weapons whose use will involve grave consequences for the masters of the Ukrainian regime. These weapons are available and on full alert status," he stressed.
Western countries regularly supply Ukraine with weapons, but there is currently a ban on long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory.
At the same time, on 10 September, US President Joe Biden did not rule out that Washington would lift the ban on using US long-range weapons for strikes against Russia.
In turn, Putin said that Kiev's use of such weaponry would "mean nothing but direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States, European countries in the war in Ukraine" and added that it "considerably changes… the very nature of the conflict, implying that NATO countries… are at war with Russia."
It came ahead of a key meeting between UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden in Washington on Friday. Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called for the capability to hit targets deep inside Russian territory, and for all restrictions to be lifted.
Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on 7 June, Russian political scientist Sergei Karaganov claimed that "accelerating nuclear escalation could save a large number of lives" and urged Putin to move decisively in this direction.
"We have a nuclear doctrine, [and everything is written there on the use of nuclear weapons]. <...> Everything is written in there: use is possible in exceptional circumstances - in case of threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. In exceptional circumstances. I do not think that such an eventuality has occurred - there is no such need. But this doctrine is a living instrument, and we are carefully watching what is happening in the world and around us, and we do not exclude making some amendments to this doctrine," Putin responded.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.