US Secretary of State Acknowledges Arms Transfer to Ukraine Prior to Conflict
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Washington, Jan 5 (NationPress) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that the United States had quietly dispatched a significant amount of weaponry to Ukraine five months prior to the conflict. “We anticipated the situation,” Blinken stated during an interview with The New York Times, highlighting that the United States ensured that “Ukraine was prepared” by sending billions of dollars and military supplies since September 2021.
“Our assessment every single time has been not only whether we should provide this to the Ukrainians but if they are equipped to use it? Can they sustain it?”
When queried about the possibility of ending the conflict, Blinken remarked that a cease-fire might provide Russia with a respite, and emphasized that any cease-fire must allow Ukraine to “deter further aggression,” which, he pointed out, could be facilitated through NATO membership.
“Russia has been discussing this for many years,” responded Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, to Blinken's comments, asserting that they highlighted “the rationale behind Russia's objectives regarding the demilitarization of Ukraine.”
“We have expressed our concerns about the influx of arms from the United States and Britain into Ukraine, the continuous NATO exercises in the Black Sea that infringe upon Russian borders, and the perilous proximity of Western military aircraft to civilian airliners in our airspace,” she added.
The Kremlin has consistently condemned Western arms supplies to Ukraine, alleging that they intensify the conflict, hinder peace negotiations, and entangle NATO members in direct involvement, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
As per the US Department of State, as of Monday, the United States has extended $61.4 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the onset of the conflict. Additionally, it has “authorized” its NATO allies to deliver 12,000 anti-armour systems of various types, over 1,550 anti-air missiles, radars, night vision equipment, machine guns, rifles and ammunition, as well as body armor.
