Russia threatened Europe and claimed that its weapons factories could become military targets of the Kremlin

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attends a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 3, 2026 (REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova/Archive)Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that European factories producing weapons for Ukraine could become potential military targets for Russia, even if they operate outside Ukrainian territory. The spokeswoman linked that possibility to the expansion of European military support for the invaded country, including the possible installation in Poland of a plant to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles destined for Kyiv. "The arms factories of European countries that produce weaponry for Ukraine are potential military targets for Russia, and it should not be taken for granted that military factories outside Ukrainian territory that produce weapons for the Kyiv regime will be safe. Whoever thinks that way is mistaken," Zakharova declared during a press conference. The official maintained that European governments are participating directly in the war through their military support for Ukraine. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and several European countries reiterated their commitment to maintaining aid to Kyiv, with the aim of supporting its operations against Russian forces and strengthening defenses against drones and missiles. "European countries are directly implicated in the Ukrainian conflict. They do not merely provide aid. By opening arms factories and joint ventures, they are fully involved," insisted the Russian diplomacy representative. Zakharova added that, in Moscow's view, this type of industrial and military cooperation does not favor an agreement to end the war. "This only delays the resolution of the conflict instead of bringing it closer, as some forces in Europe think or imagine," she noted. The spokeswoman's statements were in the same vein as those of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during an appearance on Tuesday at the Valdai Discussion Club. The official asserted that Europe is waging a war against Moscow by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine, during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, at UN headquarters in New York City, USA (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid) Lavrov was responding to a question about whether he acknowledges that Russia launched a "hybrid war" against Western countries. The Russian diplomat maintained that his country's forces shoot down drones and missiles of European and British manufacture that Ukraine uses against Russian territory. "Do you mean when we destroy the drones and missiles that the United Kingdom and continental Europe supply to Ukraine, and with which they then shoot at us? If you admit that they shoot at us with your weapons and that we shoot them down, call it whatever you like, but I have no doubt that this is a war that Europe is waging against us," said Lavrov, as quoted by the Interfax agency. At the same forum, the deputy head of the Russian Security Council and former president Dmitri Medvedev accused European leaders of trying to lead their countries into a confrontation with Russia. "The chances of the world being dragged into a new conflict are the greatest since 1945," Medvedev asserted, describing European leaders as "short-sighted Russophobes" and maintaining that they are doing "everything possible" to provoke a war with Moscow. In early September, Lavrov accused Germany of starting a "real war" against Russia. The minister linked that accusation to Berlin's reaction to Moscow's alleged involvement in an incident with a drone at Leipzig airport. Russian authorities have for weeks been accusing European countries of preparing a military confrontation with Russia, while rejecting that Moscow has offensive plans against Western countries. European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas (Ezra Acayan/REUTERS/Archive) European Union defense ministers began last Monday to evaluate an "Emergency Protocol" to respond to hybrid threats attributed mainly to Russia, a mechanism that, according to the bloc's high representative, Kaja Kallas, will not interfere with NATO's prerogatives. The proposal seeks to define the measures the bloc will adopt in the face of "aggression below the level of an armed attack." The scheme is linked to Article 42.7 of the Treaty of the European Union, which establishes the obligation of member states to assist a member country that is the victim of an armed aggression on its territory. This provision constitutes the community equivalent of Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, NATO's collective defense clause. That article establishes that an attack against one member of the alliance will be considered an attack against all its members. Kallas maintained that the future protocol will not duplicate the Atlantic Alliance's mechanisms, while the European Union seeks to strengthen its capacity to respond to incidents that do not reach the level of a conventional military attack. Several member countries already participate in the SAFE instrument, which provides for up to 150 billion euros in credits for defense plans, including joint purchases of military equipment. (With information from Reuters)