Kremlin sees delivering heavy weapons to Ukraine dangerous for Europe
4 Min Read
Russia's Kremlin underlines that the West participating in the trend of giving arms to Ukraine would be harmful to the European continent as a whole.
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A Ukrainian officer walks alongside an APC, outside Kiev, Ukraine, April 2, 2022 (AP)
The trend of delivering heavy weapons to Ukraine and other countries, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, in reference to NATO arming eastern European countries, threatens the security of the European continent.
His words on Thursday came to comment on UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss' call on Western countries to strengthen the military potential of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.
"The trend to deliver weapons, including heavy weapons, to Ukraine and other countries, represents actions that threaten the security of the continent and provoke instability," Peskov told reporters in Moscow.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the United States had already given Kiev some $1 billion in economic aid, in addition to an additional $500 million cleared last week, not to mention the military aid the United States gave to Kiev since Biden took office.
The latest military aid package, worth some $800 million, made for a total of $2.4 billion in military aid the past month alone, and a total of $3.2 billion since Biden took office, according to figures provided by the White House.
Since the start of the war, the United States has deployed more than 100,000 of its troops to NATO member states, and the European Union also chipped in, sending $500 million worth of arms and equipment to Kiev.
The US is still sending arms to Ukraine despite the Russian ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, warning that the influx of Western arms to the conflict zone in Ukraine was adding fuel to the fire.
Germany is pondering giving armored vehicles to Slovenia in return for a shipment of Soviet-made T-72 tanks to Ukraine in light of mounting pressures on Berlin to pump more arms to Kiev as the war in the country unfolds, German media reported Thursday.
Under the swap deal, Germany will send Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Fuchs armored personnel carriers to its eastern NATO partner, Germany's N-TV broadcaster said.
Slovenia, in exchange, requested more modern hardware, including Puma and Boxer armored vehicles and Leopard 2 battle tanks.
Following these reports, The Washington Post reported Moscow sent a formal diplomatic note to the United States warning that Washington and Brussels' arms shipments were adding fuel to the fire of the war in Ukraine, stressing that this matter could bring upon "unpredictable consequences".
Kremlin comments on Musk acquisition of Twitter
Spokesperson Peskov said Russia's attitude toward Twitter was explained by the company's censorship, stressing that it was necessary to monitor how the service will develop under its new owner, Elon Musk.
"Russia's attitude towards [Twitter] is based on the actions of this company, on the censorship of this company, on repressive actions against the clients of this company, selectively, on the distortion of information, on the manipulation of information, and so on," Peskov stressed.
"Let's see what will happen under the new owner," Peskov added to reporters, noting that there were already some voices against "full freedom" in Europe.
Twitter had agreed Monday to be acquired for some $44 billion by Elon Musk, just weeks after the tech giant implemented a policy to prevent a hostile takeover by the billionaire.
The move taken by Twitter followed an offer filed by Musk to purchase 100% of Twitter for $54.20 per share, putting the company's value at $44 billion.
