The Kremlin on Monday condemned NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's call for alliance members to allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with Western weapons, reports "Reuters".
Stoltenberg told The Economist that NATO members supplying weapons to Ukraine should lift their ban on using them to strike military targets in Russia.
"NATO is increasing the degree of escalation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian daily Izvestia, when asked about Stoltenberg's remarks.
"NATO flirts with military rhetoric and falls into military ecstasy," Peskov said, adding that the Russian military knows what to do.
When asked if NATO was moving closer to a direct confrontation with Russia, Peskov said: "They are not getting closer, they are in it.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned the West that he risks global war over Ukraine and that a direct conflict between Russia and NATO would mean the world is on the verge of World War III.
Russian officials say Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia, including against civilian areas and even parts of Russia's nuclear defenses, represent a direct escalation.
The United States has repeatedly said it does not encourage Ukraine to strike inside Russia, even though Ukraine has been lobbying hard to do so.
The Economist said Stoltenberg's remarks were apparently aimed at US President Joe Biden, who opposes allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with US weapons.