Moscow (Times Of Ocean)- The Russian government has sent the Biden administration a formal diplomatic note warning it against arming Ukraine further.
Moscow took offense at President Biden’s decision to continue to approve arms transfers as the conflict shifted to eastern Ukraine in a note to the State Department. Russia uses the same language to object to Western efforts to bolster the Ukrainian military against Russian forces invading the country.
Previously, Antony Blinken described the strategy as part of a plan to increase Kyiv’s leverage at the negotiating table, in an effort to reach a negotiated settlement eventually. The Washington Post first reported the diplomatic note from Russia to the US, and quoted Russian officials as saying the weapons shipments could bring “unpredictable consequences.”Russia’s diplomatic note to the United States was first reported by the Washington Post, which quoted Russian officials as saying the shipment of weapons could bring unpredictable consequences.
President Biden approved this week an expansion of the type of US military assistance provided to Ukraine, including $800 million worth of arms, including medium-range howitzers, that could be useful in this next phase of the Ukraine conflict.
The State Department said it would not confirm any private diplomatic correspondence in a statement to CBS News. Our company is providing Ukraine with billions of dollars’ worth of security assistance, which our Ukrainian partners are using to defend their country against Russia’s unprovoked aggression and horrific acts of violence.”
ACCORDING TO THE WHITE HOUSE, the US has provided a total of $2 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since President Biden took office. This week’s most recent round of assistance includes 800 Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and 2,000 Javelins, and 155-mm howitzers, an improvement to Ukraine’s long-range artillery that will help them go toe-to-toe with Russia. Last month, Congress approved $13 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, which the White House may continue to tap into for further aid allocations.
“You know, we won’t be able to advertise every piece of security we give because our allies and partners are supplying to Ukraine through us, but advanced weapons and ammunition are flowing in every single day,” Biden said last week during a speech to North America’s Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNN in an interview Friday that the world should be prepared for the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Russia has now been at war in Ukraine for 50 days.
A senior defense official confirmed the Russian cruiser Moskva that sunk in the Black Sea was struck by two Neptune anti-ship missiles fired by the Ukrainians. The sinking of the flagship vessel is significant for Ukraine.