Russian diplomat: US, Canada seeking pretext to begin lethal weapons supplies to Ukraine

MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. The United States and Canada are seeking to find a pretext to begin supplies of lethal weapons to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

According to Zakharova, Washington and Ottawa keep on distorting facts and accusing the Donbass republic’s militias of shelling actually conducted by Ukrainian troops. "These attempts to shift responsibility seen to be intentional. Washington and Ottawa are apparently seeking to find a pretext to begin large-scale supplies of lethal weapons to Ukraine," she stressed.

"The Canadian authorities have publicly said they are ready to grant their companies licenses to such trade operations, never thinking about possible consequences," she recalled. "And as it has turned out, American concerns, in particular AirTronic USA, the manufacturer of portable grenade launchers, has been supplying weapons to Kiev with behind-the-scenes consent from the State Department and Pentagon, despite the US’ official statements that there are no final decisions on that matter."

"My advice to those who are pressing for such decisions and are taking them is to stop and think about their personal responsibility," she said. "It is obvious that supplies of US and Canadian weapons to Ukraine push its government, which is sabotaging peace settlement of the confrontation in the eastern regions, towards new risky schemes."

"Washington and Ottawa must understand that the conflict in Donbass, which stems from the state coup in Kiev, cannot be resolved by force and the responsibility for human deaths would rest on those who will give weapons to the killers," she added.

d by force and the responsibility for human deaths would rest on those who will give weapons to the killers," she added.