Kremlin Says NATO in Direct Conflict with Russia

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is in direct confrontation with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said.

Earlier on Monday, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for lifting the restrictions on Ukraine using weapons supplied by NATO members to attack Russian territories, according to media reports.

Commenting on Stoltenberg's statements, Peskov noted that "this cannot be his personal opinion", given his position as NATO chief, Xinhua news agency reported.

Peskov said that NATO is directly involved in the Ukraine conflict, adding that the alliance is increasing the degree of escalation.

Russia repeatedly warned the West about allowing Ukraine to use supplied weapons to strike Russian territory over the past month, with some Western leaders having talked up the possibility.

The Russian military earlier launched military drills involving tactical nuclear weapons as a "response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials against the Russian Federation," according to the defence ministry.