Ukraine's call to deploy US air defenses on the country's territory proves the provocative nature of Kiev's policy in the region.

This was stated by the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova on the air of the First Channel.

“This, it seems to me, is proof in this case ... of Ukraine's provocative policy both in the region and in relation to Russia.

This is a proof of the US intentions with regard to building relations with the same Ukraine, when the center of these relations is the Russian factor, ”she said.

Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the State Duma's international affairs committee, spoke with a similar position.

In his Telegram channel, he called Reznikov's words a gross provocation.

“By itself, Reznikov’s statement is a gross provocation.

The deployment of US air defense in Ukraine can change the balance of power not only in the region, but also outside it, "the politician wrote.

  • Maria Zakharova

  • RIA News

  • © Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

We will remind, on August 10, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov said that American air defense systems could be deployed on the territory of the country.

“It is important to expand the security package for Ukraine, primarily through the deployment of air defense forces, even through the deployment of American units.

Our legislation allows it, ”Reznikov said following a meeting with the head of the Jamestown Foundation, Glen Howard.

At the same time, he stated that the Russian Federation allegedly "occupied the Azov Sea and totally changed the balance in the Black Sea, completely militarized it."

“We are especially concerned about the actions of the Russian Federation aimed at preparing Crimea for the deployment of nuclear weapons there.

It is with the support of the Crimea that Russia carries out military operations in the Middle East and Africa, influences the Balkans, ”the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

According to Konstantin Blokhin, a leading researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Reznikov's statement about nuclear weapons in Crimea has no basis.

“This is misinformation.

It is difficult to imagine why the Russian Federation would need to deploy nuclear weapons in Crimea.

There is no logic here.

There are intercontinental missiles and other delivery vehicles.

There is no need to place them in Crimea.

Such statements are most likely designed for an internal audience in order to maintain the image of an enemy in the person of Russia, "the expert told RT.

  • Alexey Reznikov

  • RIA News

American aid

The initiative of Reznikov to place the American air defense has already been commented on in the administration of the Ukrainian president.

Press secretary of the head of state Sergei Nikiforov noted that the words of Alexei Reznikov should not yet be considered the official position of Kiev.

“I think this statement by Mr. Reznikov should be interpreted not as an intention, but as a hypothetical possibility of strengthening security in Ukraine,” TASS quoted Nikiforov as saying at a briefing.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that the Ukrainian authorities have made such proposals.

In April 2021, the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, in an interview with Time magazine, said that the United States should deploy Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) in the country.  

“Ukraine holds the defense against Russia not only for its own sake, but also for the sake of the West.

And where is the United States deploying its Patriot missiles?

The nearest ones are in Poland.

And they should be here, ”Yermak said then.

However, he did not explain the format of the likely deployment of Patriot.

A similar statement was made in 2018 by the then Minister of Defense of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak.

He urged the government to find funds to purchase Patriot complexes.

According to him, the appearance of this system in the Armed Forces of Ukraine would make it possible to “close the border” with the Russian Federation.

Poltorak said that the Ukrainian army needs five Patriot divisions.

He offered to extract funds for the purchase of such an expensive system from the fight against smuggling.

“$ 4 billion would be enough for us to buy five divisions of the American Patriot air defense system and completely close the border with Russia,” Poltorak said.

At the same time, unlike Aleksey Reznikov, neither Poltorak nor Yermak called in their statements to deploy American military in addition to air defense systems in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Washington has not yet responded to such proposals.

However, as analysts say, the United States is providing military support to Ukraine even without the supply of air defense systems.

In particular, Ukraine regularly receives tranches from the US budget for military needs.

Washington claims that this is being done to repel the allegedly existing "Russian aggression".

For these purposes, Ukraine was allocated $ 350 million in 2017 and 2018, in 2019 - $ 250 million, in 2020 - $ 300 million.In March of this year, it became known that the Joe Biden administration decided to provide Ukraine with another $ 125 million as a new military assistance package.

In addition, the United States is supplying Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank systems, patrol boats, diving equipment, thermal imagers, communications equipment, radio systems and other military products.

The United States is also sending instructors to Ukraine to train local military personnel.

"Moscow is watching closely"

According to analysts, the delivery of US air defense systems to Ukraine in the foreseeable future is unlikely, as well as the deployment of such installations together with the American military on Ukrainian territory.

However, this possibility cannot be completely rejected, experts say.

“This is a provocative statement.

But one must understand that theoretically this idea is realizable.

There were inconceivable things that were difficult to imagine that such a thing was possible.

For example, NATO in Poland, Lithuania, Estonia.

It was hard to imagine, but it happened.

Of course, in a year or two they will not do this, but in the medium term, in five to ten years it is quite possible, "Ukrainian political analyst Alexander Semchenko said in an interview with RT.

  • US air defense

  • RIA News

  • © Igor Zarembo

At the same time, the expert recalled that Reznikov's statements about the possibility, together with the complexes, to place US military in Ukraine, is contrary to the country's constitution, which says that "the deployment of foreign military bases is not allowed on Ukrainian territory."

“This is not only a provocative action in relation to Russia, but also in relation to the Ukrainian people.

There is such a documentary that does not mean anything - the Constitution of Ukraine.

It contains a direct ban on the deployment of foreign troops on the territory of Ukraine.

What the Deputy Prime Minister proposes is an indifference to the basic law, "Semchenko said.

In turn, Konstantin Blokhin believes that the appearance of the US military infrastructure on the territory of Ukraine will mean that Washington and Kiev have crossed the red line.

“There was a tacit agreement between Russia and the West after the end of the Cold War that Ukraine would be at least a neutral country.

But in 2014, the American elite decided to drag Ukraine to the West.

And for Russia, this issue is a red line.

The problem is not that Ukraine has become pro-Western or that Russia is losing its sphere of influence.

This is a security issue, since such a military infrastructure of the West on the territory of Ukraine is a direct threat to the national security of Russia, ”the expert said.

At the same time, Konstantin Blokhin noted that the Russian Federation understands all the risks and monitors the situation.

“Moscow is closely following what is happening in Ukraine and considers the possible deployment of American air defenses there as a threat to its national security. We have before our eyes the bitter experience of several waves of NATO enlargement that occurred after the collapse of the USSR. If such a scenario occurs in Ukraine, then we will have to act. This is an extremely significant factor for us when making political decisions, ”the analyst concluded.