MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. Mikhail Popov, deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, said the European countries, which under pressure from the US are increasing supplies of ammunition to Ukraine, will bear responsibility for potential provocations that Kiev is very likely to commit against the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics.

He said in an interview to Rossiyskaya Gazeta that under the pretext of an imaginary Russian threat, the Americans forced their NATO allies "to rally their ranks and demanded that they significantly increase the supplies of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine."

"Thus, European countries will be held accountable for provocations against the DPR and LPR that Kiev is very likely to commit, including using all kinds of nationalist groups and mercenaries," Popov said.

He said that at the same time, Washington demanded that the allies urgently allow it to deploy its troops that are being transferred from the United States on their territories and agree to additional deployment of US military forces in the future. "So, the timid attempts of a number of Western European countries to show independence are countered by the readiness of the United States to tighten its control on the European continent through its expanded military presence," Popov said.

The official also said an obvious attempt is being made to limit the scale of scheduled operational and combat training of the Russian armed forces, as well as to put under control any movement of Russian troops across the country.