He called the real risk of escalation in such a case, but added that the West "has an obligation to look at this from a perspective."

Shirreff believes that Kyiv should be provided with all the weapons in the arsenal of the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, including about 300 tanks, 700 armored vehicles, 500 artillery pieces, as well as long-range missile systems and modern fighters.

Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and his "camarilla" would not last a day without help from the West.

Medvedev also recalled that the nuclear powers did not lose major conflicts on which their fate depends.

Former US President Donald Trump said that after the West supplies tanks to the Kyiv regime, the armed conflict could reach nuclear strikes.