RTFri, 06 Jan 2023 19:56 UTC
© AVA 360Russian Ambassador to US, Anatoly Antonov
The US government's policies on Ukraine show it is not interested in a peaceful resolution of the conflict, the Russian ambassador to Washington said on Thursday.
In a statement, Anatoly Antonov argued that Washington's decision to supply Kiev with Bradley Fighting Vehicles only confirms the US has not "even tried to listen" to Russia's warnings against such "a dangerous course."
"The US unleashed a real proxy-war against Russia by supporting Nazi criminals in Kiev" as early as 2014, the ambassador said, referring to the coup that ousted the democratically elected president, Viktor Yanukovich. "Any talk about a 'defensive nature' of weapons supplied to Ukraine has long become absurd," he added.
The envoy claimed Western arms shipments only encourage Ukrainian radicals to commit "terrible deeds," adding to "their feeling of impunity... They continue to kill civilians in Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions of the Russian Federation in an extremely cynical way.""Nobody should still have doubts who bears responsibility for prolonging this conflict," as all actions by the US administration "indicate a lack of any desire for a political settlement," Antonov said.
The Russian ambassador highlighted US President Joe Biden's reaction to the 36-hour truce on Orthodox Christmas announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. Earlier, the US president dismissed Moscow's offer, saying: "I'm reluctant to respond to anything that Putin says... I think he's trying to find some oxygen."
"All this means that Washington is committed to fighting with us 'to the last Ukrainian', while the destiny of people of Ukraine means nothing to the US," the diplomat argued.
The proposed ceasefire was branded "hypocritical" by Ukrainian officials, with President Vladimir Zelensky calling it a ruse, saying: "Everyone in the world knows how the Kremlin uses ceasefires to continue the war with renewed vigor."
Comment: The West seems determined to drag out the conflict in the vain hope of 'bleeding' Russia. The only drain happening is to the Anglo-sphere, both economically and militarily. Russia has the means and more importantly, the
will to see the conflict through to victory.
In the meantime RT
reports
According to a joint statement released by the White House and German Chancellery on Thursday evening, "the United States intends to supply Ukraine with Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, and Germany intends to provide Ukraine with Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles."
"Both countries plan to train Ukrainian forces on the respective systems," the statement continued.
It remains unclear how many of each type of vehicle will be sent to Ukraine and when they will be delivered.
France announced on Wednesday that it would send an undisclosed number of its own AMX-10 armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine, with a government spokesman declaring that "it is the first time that Western-designed tanks are supplied to the Ukrainian armed forces."
Although the Bradley, Marder, and AMX-10 vehicles are sometimes referred to as "light tanks," the former two are more commonly called infantry fighting vehicles, and the latter armored fighting vehicles. No NATO countries have suggested that they plan on supplying Ukraine with western-built main battle tanks, and an unnamed American official on Wednesday explicitly ruled out the transfer of the US M1 Abrams tanks to Kiev, according to the Washington Post.
Nevertheless, the US, Germany, and France have all supplied Ukraine with increasingly heavy weapons since the beginning of Russia's military operation there last February. Moscow has cautioned the West against arming Ukraine, warning that it treats incoming arms deliveries as targets, and that such shipments will serve only to prolong the conflict, whilst making Western nations de-facto participants.
As Russia has indicated, there is nothing much more to say. Their 'dialogue' will take place on the battlefield, with hapless Ukraine in the middle.
Comment: The West seems determined to drag out the conflict in the vain hope of 'bleeding' Russia. The only drain happening is to the Anglo-sphere, both economically and militarily. Russia has the means and more importantly, the will to see the conflict through to victory.
In the meantime RT reports As Russia has indicated, there is nothing much more to say. Their 'dialogue' will take place on the battlefield, with hapless Ukraine in the middle.