West acting dangerously by supplying MANPADS to Ukraine - Lavrov

ANTALYA. March 10 (Interfax) - The ongoing supplies of lethal weapons to Ukraine from abroad, particularly man-portable air defense systems, are dangerous, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"We see how dangerously our Western counterparts, including the European Union, are acting now. In breach of their principles and so-called values, they are actually encouraging supplies of deadly weapons to Ukraine, including thousands of man-portable air defense systems," Lavrov said at a press conference following negotiations with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Turkey's Antalya on Thursday.

"This weapon is shoulder-fired, and you can move anywhere with it," he said.

"This weapon has very often been used by terrorists to jeopardize civil aircraft. Where these thousands of MANPADS end up later - that's a question we've asked our counterparts in the European Union, and when they display an interest in how to put an end to the policy pursued for years with regard to Russia, there's no answer how these MANPADS are going to be controlled," Lavrov said.

These supplies would pose threats and risks to civil aircraft for years, and not only in Ukrainian airspace, Lavrov said. "They might spread out all over Europe," he said.