The Kremlin said on Thursday that Ukrainian strikes on Russian-annexed Crimea would be "extremely dangerous", after the New York Times reported that U.S. officials were warming to the idea of helping Kyiv strike the peninsula.
"This will mean raising the conflict to a new level that will not bode well for European security", Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Crimea, which is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Peskov also said that remarks by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that the defeat of Russia in Ukraine could trigger a nuclear war were in full accordance with Moscow's nuclear doctrine.
Spokesman Peskov vowed Russia would achieve its goals "one way or another" and said Kyiv would be better off accepting Russia's position and settling at the negotiating table.
"The sooner the Ukrainian regime shows its readiness to meet Russia's demands - which will be achieved one way or another - the sooner everything will end, and the sooner Ukrainian people can begin to recover after this tragedy, which was started by the regime in Kyiv," Peskov told reporters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has outlined a 10-point peace plan for a settlement to the conflict, starting with the removal of Russian troops from occupied parts of Ukraine.
Russia has said it is open for negotiations, but has not publicly outlined details of its negotiating position or what it is seeking from Kyiv in order to end hostilities.
