Russian victory in Ukraine is a "matter of life and death" and NATO's increased involvement is prolonging the conflict, the Kremlin said on Thursday.
"The degree of NATO involvement in the conflict in Ukraine has increased, but this will not affect the positive outcome of the 'special military operation' for Russia," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a workshop in Moscow.
"For us, this is a matter of life and death. And therefore we have only one option -- everything has to go our way," he stressed.
Moscow says the operation launched on Feb. 24 last year was to protect Russians living in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions and eliminate threats to Russian security.
According to Peskov, over the past six months, "the global war that is taking place became more distinct, it has become tougher, more merciless."
Military assistance to Ukraine is accompanied by the information war against Russia, he said, adding that "NATO has protocols for working with the media -- on launching disinformation, and cutting information flows from abroad."
On Kyiv's calls to demilitarize and turn the Black Sea into a "Sea of NATO," Peskov said the two points contradict each other because inviting NATO means militarization.
He added that the Black Sea has to remain the "sea of cooperation and indivisible security for coastal countries."
Source: Anadolu Agency