West is waging hybrid war...: Russia reacts to Cameron's statement on UK arms for Ukraine

Russia on Friday (May 3) sharply reacted toBritish Foreign SecretaryDavidCameron's statement that Ukraine could use British weapons against targets inside Russia if it wanted to. During a briefing, Foreign Ministry spokespersonMaria Zakharova said, "On May 2, the former Prime Minister, current Foreign minister of BritainDavidCameronduringan interview with Reuters agency suddenly claimed that Ukraine has the right to perform strikes, as he said it, against the Russian territory, using British weapons. There was a formidable fuss in the world's media, British included."

"Why so? Because it's the first time that a Western politician admitted something that is already an open secret to all the countries of the world's majority - the West is conducting a flat-out war against Russia with the hands of the Ukrainians," Zakharova added.

Zakharova said that Moscow would respond if Ukraine launched strikes against Russian territory with British weapons.

"How irresponsible andcallousdo you have to be not to realise what such statements lead to, especially with regard to countries with nuclear weapons?We always respond, but how can you not think about the feelings of British subjects and EU citizens," she further said.

What did Cameron say?

On Thursday (May 2), British Foreign Secretary Cameron promised $3.7 billion of annual military aid toUkraine and said that London had no objection to its weaponsbeing usedinside Russia.

"Ukraine has that right. Just as Russia is striking inside Ukraine, you can quite understand why Ukraine feels the need to make sure it's defending itself,"Camerontold Reuters during a visit to Kyiv.

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The British foreign secretary's remark put Britainin a more hawkish position towards Russia thanthe United States (US), which said thatany weapons it supplies to Ukraine should only be usedwithin Ukraine's internationally recognised borders rather than against targets inside Russia itself.

Cameron's remark is dangerous:Kremlin

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov describedCameron's comments as dangerous.

"This is a direct escalation of tension around the Ukrainian conflict, which could potentially pose a danger to European security, to the entire European security architecture," Peskov said.

"This is where we see such a dangerous trend of escalating tension in official statements.Thisis a cause for our concern,"headded.

(With inputs from agencies)