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Zelensky’s ‘weapons tour’ shows West’s appetite for Ukraine escalation not whetted — envoy

According to Konstantin Gavrilov, the situation is becoming increasingly tense

MOSCOW, May 16. /TASS/. The most recent "weapons tour" by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has revealed that the West, and Great Britain in particular, is prepared to continue fueling the fire of escalation in the Ukrainian conflict, Konstantin Gavrilov, head of the Russian delegation to the Vienna talks on military security and arms control, said on Tuesday.

"Zelensky’s ‘weapons tour’ showed how prepared the Westerners, especially Great Britain, are to escalate the conflict, by sending more armaments [to Kiev]," the Russian diplomat told Rossiya-24 television.

According to Gavrilov, the situation is becoming increasingly tense. "The game of who can manufacture more weapons and munitions better and faster - either through escalating the conflict itself [on the field of battle] or by waging a war of logistics, that is, in the rear - is now on," he said.

On Sunday, Zelensky visited Paris, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, prior to which he had travelled to Germany to discuss an enlargement of Berlin’s military assistance package for Kiev. The Ukrainian leader also paid a visit to Rome to meet with the senior Italian leadership and Vatican City to meet with Pope Francis. And on Monday, Zelensky held talks with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London.

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Ukraine crisis Foreign policy

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