MOSCOW. April 13 (Interfax) - Russia will take all necessary steps to ensure its security should the situation in Ukraine deteriorate, and responsibility for any possible escalation will rest with Kyiv, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters.
"Should there be any escalation, we, of course, will do all we can to reliably ensure our own security, the security of our citizens wherever they are. But responsibility for the consequences of such a hypothetical escalation will rest entirely with Kyiv and its mentors in the West," Ryabkov said.
The United States and NATO are "stoking [Ukraine's] militaristic spirit," engaging in provocations against Russia, including near Russia's borders, he said.