Russia has issued a warning to the United States amid reports that Washington is considering possible military intervention in Nigeria.

Speaking during a press conference in Moscow on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said her country is “closely monitoring developments” and urged all parties to “strictly comply with international legal norms.”

This comes after U.S. defense officials reportedly confirmed that plans for air and ground strikes in Nigeria have been prepared on the orders of President Donald Trump. The proposed operation is said to be aimed at protecting Christians from attacks by Islamic extremists.

Trump recently redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” claiming that Christians are facing what he described as a genocide. He also warned that the U.S. would step in “guns-a-blazing” if the Nigerian government continued to “ignore the attacks.”

In response, President Bola Tinubu and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) dismissed the allegations, describing them as misleading. The Nigerian presidency said it welcomes international cooperation in the fight against terrorism but would not accept any move that threatens the nation’s sovereignty.

Zakharova reiterated Russia’s stance, saying Moscow expects every nation involved to act within the limits of international law.

Meanwhile, Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Communication, told Russian national television that Nigeria has made “massive progress” in handling its internal security issues and does not need foreign troops on its soil.