Moscow has hit out at calls for the West to arm Ukraine in the fight against rebels in the east of the country.
A Kremlin spokesman said it would be regarded as an attempt to destabilise the situation - as would the extension of sanctions against Russia.
The warning came ahead of further talks on Wednesday aimed at ending the Ukraine conflict, which has cost more than 5,300 lives since April.
The planned meeting, in the Belarussian capital Minsk, follows last week's discussions between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko, led by Germany and France.
Representatives of Ukraine, Russia, separatists and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe are meeting later to lay the groundwork for Wednesday's negotiations.
Details of last week's talks have not been revealed although a French diplomatic official said they included the setting up of a demilitarised zone between Ukraine and Russia, which remained a sticking point.
US President Barack Obama has come under increasing pressure to provide military aid to Ukraine amid claims Russia has been arming the rebels - claims denied by Moscow.
After meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington on Monday, Mr Obama said he had ordered his team to see "whether there are additional things we can do to help Ukraine bolster its defences in the face of Russian aggression".
However, Ms Merkel is firmly opposed to arming the Ukrainian military, saying it will hinder attempts to find a solution to the violence. "It has always proved to be right to try again and again to sort such a conflict," she said through a translator.
A peace deal was reached last Autumn but it has been repeatedly been violated by both sides, and bloodshed has increased significantly in the past two weeks.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian national guard reportedly launched an offensive against pro-Russian separatists near the strategic south-eastern port city of Mariupol.
The day before, a powerful explosion rocked a chemical plant in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk after shelling by government forces.
According to the Ukraine military, seven of its soldiers have been killed and 23 wounded in fighting with rebels in the past 24 hours.
A spokesman said fighting was particularly intense around the town of Debaltseve, a major rail and road junction northeast of Donetsk.
Meanwhile, about 2,000 Russian reconnaissance troops have started month-long exercises in southern Russia, Interfax news agency has reported.
Another news agency, RIA, said more than 600 were in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in March.
On Monday, Kiev said about 1,500 Russian troops had crossed the border into Ukraine via rebel-controlled border posts over the weekend.
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Gallery: Ukraine Fighting: Latest Pictures
Ukrainian servicemen unload Grad rockets from a truck before launching them towards pro-Russian separatist forces outside Debaltseve, eastern Ukraine
At least nine Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 26 wounded in fighting with Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern regions in the past 24 hours
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