Russian frigate fires aTsarkon hypersonic missile.<\/p>\n
The speaker of Russia\u2019s parliament warned that countries supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons risked their own destruction.<\/p>\n
The message followed Ukraine\u2019s supporters pledging billions of pounds in military aid to the country on Friday, including armoured vehicles, air defence systems and other equipment, but not including the battle tanks Kyiv had requested.<\/p>\n
State Duma chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said: \u201cSupplies of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime would lead to a global catastrophe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Washington and Nato supply weapons that would be used for striking peaceful cities and making attempts to seize our territory as they threaten to do, it would trigger a retaliation with more powerful weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n
The commitments made on Friday were overshadowed by defence leaders failing at an international meeting in Ramstein, Germany, to agree on Ukraine\u2019s urgent request for German-made Leopard 2 battle tanks.<\/p>\n
Germany is one of the main donors of weapons to Ukraine, and it ordered a review of its Leopard 2 stocks in preparation for a possible green light.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, the government in Berlin has shown caution at each step of increasing its commitments to Ukraine, a hesitancy seen as rooted in its history and political culture.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he did not rule out sending Leclerc battle tanks to Ukraine and had asked his defence minister to \u201cwork on\u201d the idea.<\/p>\n
Mr Macron spoke during a during a news conference in Paris with German chancellor Olaf Scholz as their countries commemorated the 60th anniversary of their post-Second World War friendship treaty. In a joint declaration, France and Germany committed to their \u201cunwavering support\u201d for Ukraine.<\/p>\n
France would make its tank decision based on three criteria, Mr Macron said: that sharing the equipment did not lead to an escalation of the conflict, that it would provide efficient and workable help when training time was taken into account, and that it would not weaken France\u2019s own military.<\/p>\n
Mr Scholz did not respond when asked about the Leopard 2 tanks on Sunday, but stressed that his country had already made sizable military contributions to Ukraine.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe US is doing a lot, Germany is doing a lot too,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have constantly expanded our deliveries with very effective weapons that are already available today. And we have always co-ordinated all these decisions closely with our important allies and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Germany\u2019s tentativeness has drawn heavy criticism, particularly from Poland and the Baltic states, countries on Nato\u2019s eastern flank controlled by Moscow in the past and which feel especially threatened by Russia\u2019s renewed territorial ambitions.<\/p>\n