The Russian government is threatening to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty after recent American weapons supplies to Ukraine were seen as an encroachment on Russia’s territorial integrity. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized the need for continued relations with the United States despite Russia’s perception of being in a “hot phase of the war.” However, Nikolai Patrushev, who chairs Russia’s Security Council, accused the U.S. and its allies of intensifying “terrorist activity” in four Ukrainian regions, which Moscow announced it had formally annexed last year. The West and Ukraine have dismissed Russia’s intervention in Ukraine as a pretext for conquest, but Russia maintains that it was necessary to prevent interference that threatened its security. Despite the tensions, Putin urged Denmark to support a proposal to establish an independent international commission to investigate the Nord Stream pipeline blasts that occurred last September. Putin claims that Russia is open to constructive partnerships with all countries and has no predetermined or hostile intentions towards anyone.