Russia issued a new warning on Monday about the supply of weapons from the West to Ukraine. Through a diplomatic note and an interview with its ambassador in Washington, Moscow said large shipments of arms are fueling the conflict.
In parallel, the United States announced a new package of military aid to Kiev, bringing the total since the beginning of the war to $3.7 billion. The information was confirmed shortly after a visit by the Secretaries of State and Defense, Antony Blinken and Lloyd Austin, to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The meeting, the highest level of American representatives to Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion two months ago, was only confirmed by the White House after the two arrived in Poland – Zelensky’s aides, however, had already confirmed the meeting.
Ambassador Anatoli Antonov, who has served in Washington since 2017, criticized the arms shipment without citing the visit. “What the Americans are doing is pouring gasoline on the fire. I see an attempt to double down, worsen the situation, see more losses,” he told Russia 24 TV channel. He added that he had no response to the diplomatic note he sent.
“We emphasize that it is unacceptable for the US to dump weapons in Ukraine and we demand an end to this practice.”
Blinken and Austin met with Zelensky for three hours, more than double the time allotted, according to US officials. “In terms of war objectives, Russia failed and Ukraine succeeded,” the secretary of state said in an interview already in Poland after leaving Kiev by train, using rhetoric typical of the war of narratives unfolding in Eastern Europe. .
The two highlighted, in the conversation with the Ukrainian, the resistance of the country’s forces throughout the conflict, which reaches its 61st day this Monday. “What you did to repel the Russians from Kiev is extraordinary and inspiring,” Austin told Zelensky.
They also promised to reopen the American embassy in the Ukrainian capital soon – a move already carried out by some European countries. The return of the diplomatic corps, now based in Poland, will be gradual, with officials initially returning to Lviv, in the west of the country, and later reactivating the office in Kiev.
A military official told Reuters on condition that the new financial aid package is intended to provide support for battles in the eastern Donbass region, while also helping the transition to more advanced weapons and air defense systems.
