Russia’s State Head Of Duma Warns Heavy Weapons Delivery To Ukraine By West Will Lead To Strong Retaliation

The house speaker for the lower house of Parliament of the Russian state of Duma issued a warning to countries supplying Ukraine with powerful weapons. State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said on Sunday that any Western government that delivers heavy arms and artillery to Ukraine could face their own destruction and cause a “global tragedy”.

According to AA.com, Volodin emphasized this on Telegram referring to Washington and NATO countries who target civilian cities and seize Russian territories will be dealt with retaliatory measures using Russia’s most powerful weapons. The Russian official also urged members of the U..S Congress, Germany’s Bundestag lawmakers as well as the French National Assembly to come to terms with their responsibility to humanity.

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former President and deputy head of the Russian Security Council also posted a warning on his messaging app. He warned that Russia could seek an alliance with non-U.S. friendly countries where they have strong existing military alliances. “In case of a protracted conflict, a new military alliance will emerge that will include the nations that are fed up with the Americans and a pack of their castrated dogs,” Medvedev said.

Volodin’s message comes after western allies offered new pledges of armored vehicles and air defense systems to Ukraine. Some 50 western defense ministers and senior officials attended the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday and pledged billions of dollars in military aid. However, decisions to agree on Ukraine’s request for German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks failed to iron out.

Berlin seems to have shown much caution in increasing its military support commitments to Ukraine despite being one of the main donors of weapons. France and Germany gave their commitments of unwavering support to Ukraine earlier on, in which its the latter's seeming hesitance in supplying new Leopard 2 tanks from its stocks drew much criticism from Poland and the Baltic states.

Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers have boosted pressure on the Biden administration to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Senators Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky last weekend where Graham cited in a statement that it would be impossible for Ukraine to “expel Russia without tanks”.

U.S. lawmakers urged Washington on Sunday to send its Abrams tanks in light of Germany’s reluctance to share its Leopard 2 tanks. Last week, the U.K. announced they would be sending 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine while French President Emmanuel Macron said he has asked his defense minister to work on the possibility of sending their Leclerc battle tanks.