Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov accused the U.S. of “direct” involvement in the Ukraine war amid reports of plans to expand training for Ukrainian troops, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
The Pentagon has worked on plans to grow U.S. military training for thousands of Ukrainian troops in Germany in recent months, the Post reported, citing defense officials familiar with the developments. Some European Union countries and the U.K. have announced similar plans, prompting an escalation in rhetoric from the Kremlin likening the West’s continuing military support for Ukraine to direct participation in the war.
“You are directly participating, including not only with the supply of weapons, but also with the training of personnel. … You are training their military on your territory, on the territories of Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries,” Lavrov said, according to the Post.