Lrussia sent a formal complaint to the United States this week warning the US government of “unforeseeable consequences” due to its sharply increasing military aid to Ukraine. According to this diplomatic note, Moscow warns Washington and NATO against sending “more sensitive” weapons to Ukraine, judging that such military equipment put “fuel on the fire”, according to The Washington Post.
The warning came as US President Joe Biden pledged $800 million worth of new military aid to Ukraine, including helicopters and armored personnel carriers. “What the Russians are telling us privately is precisely what we are telling the world publicly, that the massive aid we are providing to our Ukrainian partners is proving to be remarkably effective,” a senior US official said, quoted by The Washington Post. The State Department declined to comment.
A more aggressive attitude from Moscow
According to The New York Times, this note was sent through normal diplomatic channels and is not signed by a senior Russian official. CNN indicated for its part that this formal complaint could mean that Moscow is preparing to adopt a more aggressive attitude against the United States and NATO.
Joe Biden gave the green light on Wednesday to massive new military aid to Ukraine, with heavier equipment than that delivered so far. These new US deliveries will include some of the “very effective” equipment already delivered to Ukraine, but also “new capabilities”, including artillery systems and armored personnel carriers.
Boris Johnson banned from entering Russia
Russian forces have announced that they will intensify their attacks on the Ukrainian capital. Saturday morning, the day after this warning, Moscow claimed responsibility for the bombing of a military factory manufacturing tanks in the suburbs of kyiv. A large number of soldiers and police were present, preventing access to the complex, from which smoke was billowing. The mayor of kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, indicated on Facebook that he had no information on the potential victims at this stage.
At the same time, Russia announced that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several other senior British officials were banned from entering the country. “This step was taken in response to the unbridled media and political campaign aimed at isolating Russia internationally and creating the right conditions to strangle the national economy,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
