The official made the remarks in light of calls by British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss for Western countries to provide Ukraine with "heavy weapons, tanks and aircraft." In a key speech, Truss said that one should not have restrictions on the delivery of arms to Ukraine for fear of causing further damage, noting that "inaction would be the greatest provocation" at present.
The foreign secretary said that there is a need for "a new approach that combines hard security and economic security" in the given circumstances while contributing to the creation of stronger global partnerships. "The architecture that was designed to ensure peace and prosperity has failed in Ukraine, as the economic and security structures that evolved after World War II and the Cold War have become twisted," Truss said.
Claiming that Ukraine's victory is a strategic imperative for Britain and its allies, Truss called on "free nations" to be "more assertive and self-confident" and build their strategies on the basis that "geopolitics is back."
Addressing the West, the British diplomat also said that "it must ensure that, alongside Ukraine, the Western Balkans and countries like Moldova and Georgia have the capacity to resist and to maintain their sovereignty and freedom." Moreover, in case Finland and Sweden decide to join NATO, the military bloc should incorporate both nations at the earliest opportunity, Truss said.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned NATO arms deliveries to Ukraine, insisting that such actions are only detrimental to peace in the country. In this regard, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, "NATO is going to war with Russia through a proxy and arming that proxy. War means war". The Kremlin, for its part, said that any delivery of military hardware would be considered a legitimate target once it enters Ukraine.
Since last February 24, when tensions worsened over the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the Kremlin has demanded the country's non-inclusion in the U.S.-led NATO military bloc by declaring its status of neutrality.
The Russian special military operation followed Kiev's non-compliance with the terms of the 2014 Minsk agreements and Moscow's eventual recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that the operation aimed to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.