Fri Sep 20 07:17:19 UTC 2024: ## Russia Warns US of Escalation Risks in Ukraine, Rules Out Meeting with Blinken

**MOSCOW** – Russia has issued a stark warning to the United States, urging Washington to heed Moscow’s concerns about the escalating conflict in Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, speaking to state-run news agency RIA Novosti, asserted that the US should take note of Russia’s warnings regarding further escalation. He also ruled out a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York, stating that there is “nothing to talk about.”

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed the warning, adding that providing Ukraine with the capability to launch long-range strikes deep inside Russia would fundamentally alter the nature of the conflict.

“We would like to remind the hawks on both sides of the Atlantic… They are playing with fire and have lost all sense of reality,” Zakharova stated at a briefing. “The scale of conflict which started because of the West risks becoming completely different, which could bring dangerous consequences for the whole world.”

This latest statement from Moscow comes amidst growing tensions over the conflict in Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly warned against Western support for Ukraine, particularly the provision of advanced weaponry. These pronouncements underscore the heightened risk of escalation and the potential for a wider conflict.

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