Moscow has repeatedly accused NATO of involvement in the war by supplying arms to Kyiv, warning supp

Western weapons supplies to Ukraine are dragging NATO directly into the conflict and could lead to an “unpredictable” escalation, Russia’s defence minister says.

“The US and its allies are trying to prolong the conflict as much as possible,” Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu said in a conference call on Tuesday with military officials.

“To do this, they have started supplying heavy offensive weapons, openly urging Ukraine to seize our territories. In fact, such steps are dragging NATO countries into the conflict and could lead to an unpredictable level of escalation.”

His allusion to “our territories” appeared to be a reference to four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – that Russia claims to have annexed following referendums last September that were condemned by Kyiv and its Western allies as illegitimate.

Much of the territory in the Russian-claimed regions is currently in Ukrainian hands.

Moscow has repeatedly accused the NATO alliance of playing a direct role in the war by supplying arms to Kyiv.

Ukraine says the weapons are urgently needed to stave off Russian attacks and boost its firepower for a spring offensive against Moscow’s forces. Ukrainian officials say Moscow is accumulating arms and reserves for a renewed assault in the coming weeks.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern about the war’s recent direction. Peace prospects “keep diminishing” and “the chances of further escalation and bloodshed keep growing”, he said in a speech late Monday.

“I fear the world is not sleepwalking into a wider war – I fear it is doing so with its eyes wide open.”