Ambassador Antonov Warns against NATO Fighter Jets in Ukraine, Drone Strikes on Crimea

May 22, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)—Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov has issued stern warnings to the U.S. about F-16s in Ukraine, and drone strikes on Crimea. Included in a statement on the embassy’s website on May 21, he said, “There is no infrastructure for the operation of the F-16 in Ukraine and the needed number of pilots and maintenance personnel is not there either. What will happen if the American fighters take off from NATO airfields, controlled by foreign ‘volunteers’?”

Today, in response to a media question, Antonov admonished against any “thoughtless judgments” about permitting drone attacks on Crimea, saying that attacks on Crimea would be considered by Moscow as an attack on any other region of the Russian Federation.

“I would like to warn representatives of the administration against thoughtless judgments on Crimea, especially in terms of ‘blessing’ the Kiev regime for air attacks on the peninsula. Let me remind you that strikes on this territory are considered by us as an attack on any other region of the Russian Federation. It is important that the United States is fully aware of the Russian response.”

Ambassador Antonov opened his statement commenting on the May 19-21 summit of the G7 in Hiroshima. “Washington completely subordinated the G7 members to its own policy regarding the conflict in Ukraine. Moreover, it sharply tightened its approaches towards two important issues. I am talking about preparations for the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to the Kiev regime, as well as the unconditional approval of strikes on Crimea using American and other Western weapons.

“Such steps once again clearly demonstrate that the United States has never been interested in peace, and our decision to conduct a special military operation was absolutely correct. Ever since the coup in Kiev in 2014, the United States has only wanted a strategic defeat for Russia and now continues to fan the flames of conflict,” he said.