Pumping up Ukraine with weapons is a path to a direct confrontation between Russia and the United States.
This was stated by the Russian Ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov.
The diplomat stressed that at present the situation in Ukraine is tense to the limit.
“Overwhelmed by the desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, the local elites are upping the ante in escalating tensions, pumping weapons into the Kyiv regime.
Is it really incomprehensible that this is the road to a direct military confrontation between the largest nuclear powers, fraught with unpredictable consequences, ”Newsweek quotes Antonov.
At the same time, the Russian diplomat recalled that the plans of the American political establishment to influence Moscow through sanctions were unsuccessful - on the contrary, they hit the economy of the United States itself.
“The thoughtless introduction of restrictions only exacerbates the state of affairs in the US economy.
That is, it turns out that in the anti-Russian frenzy, Washington is ready to shoot itself in the foot and dance at the same time.
Looks absurd.
Moreover, the actions of the Americans will in no way affect the determination of the Russian Armed Forces to fulfill the tasks set during the special military operation to protect the inhabitants of Donbass, as well as the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine, ”said Anatoly Antonov.
Gun flow
Recall that since the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine, Washington has provided the Kyiv regime with military assistance in the amount of $5.6 billion.
In early June, a new $700 million military aid package was approved.
At the same time, according to representatives of the White House administration, Washington decided to include HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) in the next batch of weapons on the basis of Kyiv's promises not to strike Russian territory with their help.
In mid-June, Joe Biden announced another $1 billion military aid package for Kyiv.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, commenting on the new tranche, later announced that it would include, among other things, two complexes for launching Harpoon anti-ship missiles, GMLRS guided missiles for HIMARS complexes, 18 M777 howitzers, 36 thousand 155-mm shells and several thousand protected radio intercoms .
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“When you fight, (weapons. -
RT
) there is never enough and you never get it fast enough.
But at the same time, we will work to do everything that is humanly possible here: we will continue to try our best to provide them with the necessary funds, ”Austin said at a press conference on June 15 in Brussels, where the meeting was held. heads of defense departments of NATO member countries.
The US Congress also supports the continuation and expansion of the supply of American weapons and military equipment.
Thus, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Democratic Congressman Adam Smith, said that he constantly convinces the White House of the need to supply the Kyiv regime with artillery systems and Gray Eagle reconnaissance and strike UAVs.
“I think we need to provide more high-tech systems, in particular when it comes to drones and long-range artillery.
I think we should deliver this equipment to them faster, ”Smith said.
According to the congressman, the White House administration is being too cautious when considering the risks associated with the disclosure of US technology, as well as how long it will take to train the Ukrainian military.
At the same time, the American community is increasingly wondering how long such military support for Ukraine, which costs the country billions of dollars, can last, especially against the backdrop of an inflationary crisis and increasing pressure on the American economy.
However, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, while communicating with the American media, avoided a direct answer to this question.
“This is the first tranche announced as part of this package with a total volume of $40 billion. So there is still a lot to be done here ... How long can all this last?
How long will the war last?
No one can be sure about this, ”CNBC quoted Kirby in a lengthy response.
red lines
According to Igor Korotchenko, editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine, further escalation of the situation will depend on what types of weapons Washington supplies to Kyiv.
“If we are talking about long-range missile systems and attack drones, it is clear that they can be used to strike Russian cities and critical infrastructure.
If this happens, then Moscow will have to react quite harshly already in relation to Washington.
In general, arms deliveries will scale and multiply, but a lot will also depend on the ability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to master them, ”the expert said in a conversation with RT.
Javelin complexes at Boryspil airport in Kyiv
AP
© Efrem Lukatsky
At the same time, the United States believes that massive arms supplies to Ukraine meet American national interests, Korotchenko added.
“The defeat of Russia is the main goal of the United States.
But it is obvious that Washington is failing to achieve this strategic goal.
Moreover, neither American nor NATO military supplies can have a critical impact on the course of the NMD.
However, the strategic task remains the same - the defeat of Russia.
Therefore, both for Washington and for the collective West, all means are good to achieve it, ”the RT interlocutor emphasized.
In turn, military expert Alexei Leonkov, in an interview with RT, recalled that the United States continues the policy of pumping weapons to Ukraine, which began back in 2014, to use it as a military asset against Russia.
“They trained the Ukrainian army, sent instructors there, supplied weapons there: first Soviet-style, then NATO.
Of course, this did not contribute to de-escalation in any way, ”the expert explained.
Ukrainian forces are now using Western-supplied weapons to target civilians in Lugansk and Donetsk, Leonkov added.
“But the West does not rest on this: it promises the regime in Kyiv, which is absolutely indifferent to the fate of civilians in those regions, and even its own citizens, that it will continue to support it.
Now we are talking about the supply of long-range weapons systems, and Pentagon representatives, in turn, say that they will share the necessary intelligence with the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike with their help, ”the analyst noted.
However, Russia will not turn a blind eye to this, Alexei Leonkov believes.
In his opinion, there are already signs that the situation is approaching certain boundaries, the crossing of which can lead to irreversible consequences.
“The United States is taking the most destructive position, and if they do not stop, this can lead to exactly the consequences that our Ambassador Antonov is talking about.
It is clear that Russia will not tolerate this indefinitely - Washington can simply force us to take more decisive action.
And when Vladimir Putin reminds us that there are still decision-making centers that we have not hit, we are talking about a whole list of serious targets.
At the same time, America is not at all worried about the fate of other states - it thinks only of itself.
However, we are trying to prevent such a situation so that such strikes are not required, ”the expert concluded.