Russian diplomat: Western arms deliveries to Ukraine undermine world security
Russia's Ambassador to the US says the sending of weapons to Ukraine poses a direct threat to European and global security.
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US Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov
Russia's Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, commented on the West's sending of weapons and mercenaries to Ukraine, calling them dangerous policies that pose a direct threat to European and global security.
"Pumping the Kiev regime with weapons and sending foreign mercenaries to the Ukrainian territory is irresponsible and extremely dangerous. The militarization of Ukraine poses a direct threat to the European and global security," the Ambassador said on his Telegram channel.
According to Antonov, a large portion of the weapons supplied to Ukraine by the West "falls into the hands of bandits, Nazis, terrorists and criminals," as militants coming into Ukraine from around the world "can afterwards apply the combat experience gained in Ukraine anywhere."
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He also added that NATO has apparently forgotten how the US was "fishing" its portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) that it had handed over to the Afghan mujahideen in the 1980s "throughout the entire Middle and Near East."
"And now, in the pursuit of financial gain, companies of the military-industrial complex have completely lost their moral guidelines and are willing to earn blood money," he continued.
US needs more weapon factories?
In a related context, President Biden's candidate to be the Pentagon's top weapons buyer told Congress Tuesday that the US needs more production lines that can churn out missiles, bombs, and drones.
The Senate confirmation hearing for Bill LaPlante happened as the US military exhausts its stocks of Javelin anti-tank and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to arm Ukraine.
Moreover, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. James Inhofe, asked LaPlante if the US should make one-time investments in 2022 to expand production of key munitions, to which the nominee responded, "Yes, we do."
According to Inhofe, “We're sending thousands of Stingers to Ukraine and we don't even have a hot production line."
LaPlante revealed, “If confirmed, one of my first things to do on day one would be [to] accelerate all equipment and capabilities to both the Ukrainians … and also helping our NATO partners and replenish our stockpiles."
Thousands of the simple-to-use Javelins and Stingers have been delivered to Ukraine by the US military. However, only the Javelin is in serial production in the US, through a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies.
