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More Western weapons for Ukraine to mean longer war: Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is seen during a meeting with his counterpart from Turkmenistan, in Ashgabat, on June 28, 2022. (Photo by AFP)

Russia has warned the United States and its Western allies against sending weapons to Ukraine, saying the more weapons arrive in the country, the longer the war will last.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow had “repeatedly commented on US and European plans to pump new and different weapons into Ukraine.”

“These plans are being implemented against the backdrop of vociferous statements about how unfeasible it is to achieve peace on Russian terms, about how inadmissible it would be to start peace negotiations until Ukraine reaches a decisive turning point in its military activities,” Lavrov told a news conference during a visit to Turkmenistan.

Russia has repeatedly blamed the West for prolonging the war in Ukraine.

Since the start of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine on February 24, the United States and its European allies have been sending a flood of advanced weapons into Ukraine to help Kiev fend off Russian forces.

“The more they pump weapons into Ukraine, the longer this conflict will last, and the longer the agony of the Nazi regime, which is supported by the Western capitals, will continue,” Lavrov said.

Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov also raised concern about “the reckless and unanswered flooding of Ukraine with arms,” as the war entered its fifth month on Friday.

Antonov said that the move would “only tightens the conflict spiral and increases the threat of the further escalation with unpredictable consequences.”

“However, Washington’s ruling circles, blinded by the idea to weaken Russia, are still not capable to rationally assess the whole danger of their moves,” the ambassador added.

Ukraine hopes to outmaneuver the Russians by obtaining more advanced weapons. The government of President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday it had received the first tranche of HIMARS systems, a long-range weapon system that Kiev hopes can help turn the tide in the conflict.

The administration of US President Joe Biden announced last week that it would provide Ukraine with an additional $1 billion in military aid that will include anti-ship rocket systems, artillery rockets, howitzers, and ammunition.

In an essay in The New York Times published earlier this month, the US president argued that Russia’s offensive in Ukraine would end through diplomacy but Washington must provide significant weapons and ammunition to give Kiev the highest leverage at the negotiating table.

Antonov, however, accused Washington of “pushing the Kiev regime to commit mass murders of civilians.”


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