Moscow (HRNW)- Russia has warned that weapons-manufacturing facilities in European countries supplying military equipment to Ukraine could become potential military targets, as tensions between Moscow and European NATO members continue to rise.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said European arms factories should not assume they are protected simply because they are located outside Ukrainian territory. She argued that continued military assistance and the establishment of joint defence production projects were increasing European involvement in the conflict.
The warning comes as Poland has offered to host a facility for producing Patriot interceptor missiles for Ukraine if the project proceeds. Polish officials have said the country could provide a location for the production facility and is also seeking to expand its role in servicing and potentially manufacturing Patriot interceptors.
Russia’s latest warning follows Moscow’s broader criticism of European military support for Ukraine. European governments and NATO, meanwhile, have continued backing Ukraine’s defence capabilities amid the ongoing war.
Separately, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on September 30 that there is currently no imminent threat to NATO territory from Russia. He said NATO’s assessment of the Russian threat had not fundamentally changed over the past several weeks, months or year.
Rutte was responding in part to a Russian diplomatic warning concerning Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania. According to a document reviewed by Reuters, Moscow said it would be prepared to use its available military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, if NATO attempted to isolate the territory. NATO rejected the warning and reiterated that it is a defensive alliance.
Rutte also said the United States remained committed to defending Europe with both conventional and nuclear capabilities, while NATO would continue supporting Ukraine and strengthening its own defences. He added that he did not currently see signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin was prepared to negotiate an end to the war.
The exchange reflects growing tensions over European defence production, military assistance to Ukraine and the risk of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO countries.
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