Russia says chance of peace in Ukraine would be delayed if West gives Kyiv more Patriot missiles

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday that the chances of reaching a peaceful settlement in Ukraine would be pushed back if the West continues to supply weapons to Kyiv.

She made the comments after being asked about a Reuters report which said Ukraine's Western allies were in discussions about supplying additional Patriot air defence systems to Kyiv and aimed to reach an agreement before a NATO summit at the end of June.

Ukraine is increasingly desperate to get more Patriots, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy telling CBS news last month his government was ready to buy 10 of the U.S.-made air defence systems that are vital for shooting down Russian ballistic missiles.