At Vienna Talks, Russia Issues Stern Warning: Western Nations Arming Ukraine Are Complicit in Crimes
Moscow – Russia has accused NATO and European Union member states supplying weapons to Ukraine of being complicit in crimes, issuing a stern warning against prolonging the conflict.
In a statement delivered on May 6 at the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation in Vienna, Iulia Zhdanova, Head of the Russian Federation’s Delegation to the Vienna Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control, said the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to carry out systematic terrorist attacks against Russian civilians and clearly civilian targets.
“Behind the transfer of UAVs and other types of offensive weapons to Kiev are NATO and EU member states, who are complicit in crimes and in violation of their own international obligations regarding responsible export control policies,” Zhdanova stated. She specifically accused the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Romania, and France of committing the most egregious violations.
Zhdanova expressed unease over Germany’s remilitarization, stating, “Instead of providing economic relief to the population, German politicians are consciously choosing the path of prolonged military and financial mobilization. In the port of Bremerhaven, Europe’s largest automobile terminal is being modernized to ensure the rapid transport of Leopard tanks to potential combat zones.”
She cited estimates from European Union law enforcement agencies that illegal weapons trafficking from Ukrainian territory increased by 96 percent in 2025. Russia also objected to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement of a 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine for 2026-2027.
Zhdanova noted that during the April 29 phone call between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, both sides agreed that the Kiev regime led by Volodymyr Zelensky, with European backing, is pursuing a policy of prolonging the conflict.
“We will not tolerate the continued presence of threats on our borders. The longer our adversaries and their backers persist in their attempts to drag our country into military confrontation, the harsher the conditions on the ground they will face,” Zhdanova warned.
