Russia effectively at war with Nato, Lavrov says as he calls western weapons ‘legitimate targets’

UK minister brands claim ‘utter, utter nonsense’ and insists Nato is not organising donation of arms

Russia’s foreign minister has claimed Moscow is effectively at war with Nato amid the supply of western weaponry (Felipe Dana/AP)

Moscow says it is “in essence” at war with Nato after deliveres of western weapons to Ukraine.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov claimed ongoing deliveries of supplies and weaponry to Ukraine meant the Nato alliance was “in essence engaged in war with Russia” and Moscow views these weapons as legitimate targets.

“These weapons will be a legitimate target for Russia’s military acting within the context of the special operation,” he told state television in an interview posted on the foreign ministry’s website.

“Storage facilities in western Ukraine have been targeted more than once (by Russian forces). How can it be otherwise?

“Nato, in essence, is engaged in a war with Russia through a proxy and is arming that proxy. War means war.”

However British armed forces minister James Heappey dismissed the claims as “utter nonsense” on Tuesday morning, insisting it was not Nato as an organisation donating arms.

The minister told Sky News: “The donor community is not Nato. The donor effort is something that has been brought together by countries that are yes, many of them are from Nato, but others are from beyond ... it is not Nato that is doing the military aid.”

He added: “Sergei Lavorv might also reflect that the reason there is a war in Ukraine right now is because Russia rolled over the borders of a sovereign country and started to invade their territory.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov (EPA)

“All of this noise from Moscow about somehow their attack on Ukraine being a response to Nato aggression is just utter, utter nonsense.”

Mr Heappey said he did not believe there was an imminent threat of escalation in the war in Ukraine as he dismissed Mr Lavrov’s comments as bravado.

He told the BBC: “Lavrov’s trademark over the course of 15 years or so that he has been the Russian foreign secretary has been that sort of bravado. I don’t think that right now there is an imminent threat of escalation.

“What the west is doing to support its allies in Ukraine is very well calibrated ... Everything we do is calibrated to avoid direct confrontation with Russia.”

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said he too regarded Russia’s scaremongering as a sign of weakness.

Russia has lost its “last hope to scare the world off supporting Ukraine,” he wrote on Twitter after Mr Lavrov’s interview, adding: “This only means Moscow senses defeat.”

Mr Lavrov’s remarks came as US defence secretary Lloyd Austin was set to convene a meeting of more than 40 countries at a German air base to discuss arming Ukraine to help it fight off Russia’s latest military assault in the east.

The US State Department on Monday approved the potential sale of $165m (£129m) worth of ammunition to Ukraine.

The Pentagon said the package could include ammunition for howitzers, tanks and grenade launchers.

Moscow’s ambassador to Washington told the US to halt shipments, warning Western weapons were inflaming the conflict.