The president of Russia Vladimir Putin said today that deliveries of new weapons to Ukraine will not change anything on the battlefield but will only further escalate the conflict.

Western tanks will be a “priority target” for Russian forces fighting there, he stressed, saying the impact of Western missiles on the conflict in Ukraine is “not decisive”.

“They certainly cause damage but nothing decisive is noted in the war zones where they were used. The same applies to the foreign-made tanks” supplied by Western forces to Ukraine, Putin said on public television.

He reiterated his opposition to Ukraine joining the NATOsaying it could exacerbate international tensions and threaten Russia’s own security.

“I am sure that this will not improve the security of Ukraine and that, in general, it will make the world much more vulnerable and lead to additional tensions on the international stage,” Putin underlined.

Speaking of her deal Black Sea on grain, Putin said his country would withdraw from the deal until the other sides fulfilled their commitments.

Putin stated that Russia is in contact with the United Nations on this issue, however, he emphasized that he did not see in a message addressed to him by the UN Secretary General that a compromise was proposed to save the agreement.

The agreement allowing the safe export of Ukrainian grain and fertilizers from the Black Sea is set to expire next Monday. Moscow has repeatedly warned it will block its extension as aspects of its implementation affect Russian exports.

At the same time, its president European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called on the Russian president to extend the Black Sea agreement saying the consequence of not extending it would be global food insecurity.

The ball is now in Russia’s court with the whole world watching, von der Leyen said during a press conference.