The West is “playing with fire” after the recent US green light for future deliveries of F-16 fighter jets to Kiev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today, deploring “an unacceptable escalation”.

“They are playing with fire. There is no doubt,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russian state television, an excerpt of which was posted on social media by the journalist who asked him, Pavel Zarubin.

“This is an unacceptable escalation by Washington, London and their satellites within the EU who want to weaken Russia,” he noted.

By delivering modern weapons to Kiev, the West wants to “deliver (Moscow) a strategic defeat” and “dismember” Russia, he added, adopting rhetoric regularly used by Russian leaders.

Kiev’s supporters have for more than a year refused to hand over fighters to the Ukrainian military for fear of escalating the conflict, but the US finally gave the go-ahead on May 19 to allow the delivery of F-16 jets that Kiev has been repeatedly asking for.

This represents a major shift in Western support for Kiev, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision “historic”.

The delivery schedule of these American-made F-16s and their number have not been decided at this stage, and Ukrainian pilots will first have to undergo several months of training to learn how to operate them.

But Ukraine wanted those Western jets to counter Russian air power and hit the rear of Moscow’s troops as Kiev says it is finalizing preparations ahead of a major counter-attack.

According to US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “categorically assured” him that these aircraft will not attack Russian territory, which is a necessary condition for Western countries before any equipment shipment to Ukraine.