Russia sent warning note to US over influx of arms to Ukraine
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Moscow warns NATO and the United States over arms shipment to Ukraine as military aid to Kiev exponentially grows.
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Airmen from the 436th Aerial Port Squadron palletize ammunition, weapons, and other equipment bound for Ukraine during a foreign military sales mission at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, on January 21, 2022 (AP)
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", the Washington Post reported Friday.
"We call on the United States and its allies to stop the irresponsible militarization of Ukraine, which implies unpredictable consequences for regional and international security," the note read in a reiteration of a call issued previously by the Russian ambassador to the US when he said the same thing about arms supplies to the Kiev.
"It is extremely important that Western countries stop adding fuel to the fire by pumping Kiev's regime with weapons," Anatoly Antonov said at the time.
The note came after US President Joe Biden announced expanding his country's military assistance to Ukraine, giving Kiev another $800 million to the country.
The latest package of lethal weapons will include systems already deployed in Ukraine and "new capabilities tailored to the wider assault we expect Russia to launch in eastern Ukraine," as Biden claimed.
In addition to giving mountains of arms to Ukraine, Biden facilitated the shipment of Slovakian long-range defense systems to Kiev.
Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad had said in March that his country might provide Ukraine with an S-300 air defense system, but Bratislava would only take that step if it was offered an adequate replacement on security assurances. Weeks later, NATO deployed three Patriot systems in Slovakia as part of its forces there.
US President Joe Biden revealed Thursday he was considering sending senior US officials to Ukraine, which would be but another bid by Washington to show support for Kiev as the latter keeps on asking for more backing.
The West has gone above and beyond in giving support to Ukraine, putting in place comprehensive sanctions, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, SWIFT cutoff for select banks, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many of their companies have suspended their Russian operations.
