Is the dreaded escalation happening?
The Kremlin denounces this Thursday "the direct involvement" of Westerners in the conflict in Ukraine, after the announcement of the delivery of dozens of European and American tanks to kyiv.
"In Moscow, we see this as a direct involvement in the conflict and we see that (this involvement) is growing," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
After weeks of hesitation, the United States and Germany announced the delivery of heavy tanks to Ukraine on Wednesday, signaling further increased Western support for kyiv in the run-up to a possible counter-offensive to the invasion. Russian.
Washington has announced the dispatch of 31 Abrams, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised Leopard 2s, armored vehicles that kyiv has long been asking for to deal with the Russian steamroller.
No escalation, defends Germany
"This is not an offensive threat against Russia," said US President Joe Biden.
Berlin must provide kyiv with 14 Leopard 2 type 2A6 from the stocks of its army, the Bundeswehr, and has decided to allow its Western allies with these German-made tanks to do the same.
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"We are doing what is necessary and possible to support Ukraine, but at the same time we are preventing an escalation of the war, towards a war between Russia and NATO", underlined Olaf Scholz before the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament.