Russia warned the West and Ukraine on Friday of "disastrous consequences" if Kyiv moved against close Russian ally Belarus, making clear it would intervene to defend a country where it has deployed tactical nuclear weapons.

European Union lawmakers on Thursday called to lift "restrictions hindering Ukraine from using Western weapons systems against legitimate military targets in Russia," a press release said. The restrictions hinder Ukraine’s ability to fully exercise its right to self-defence and leave Ukraine exposed to attacks on its population and infrastructure,

A senior Russian lawmaker on Thursday said that Ukrainian strikes on Russia with Western missiles would lead to global war with the use of nuclear weapons and that Moscow's response would be tough with more powerful weapons.