MOSCOW, December 23. /TASS/. Washington’s decision to supply weapons to Kiev undermine once again the work on implementation of the Minsk agreements, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told TASS on Saturday.
"This decision undermines the work on implementation the 2015 Minsk agreements," the diplomat said. "In fact, [this decision] supports Kiev’s "party of war," that is the political forces, which are for use of force in settlement of the Donbass problem. This is unacceptable."
"Our position is that all efforts of the international community should be used to persuade Kiev to act exclusively following the political agenda, with the binding condition of an honest and direct dialogue with Donetsk and Lugansk," the diplomat said. "There is no other way to settle the Ukrainian inner conflict."
On Friday, the Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert said the U.S. Administration has taken a decision to supply advanced defensive systems to Ukraine as part of Washington’s efforts to build up the long-term defense capability of the Ukrainian government.
"The United States has decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression," Nauert said.
"U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself," she claimed. "The United States remains committed to the Minsk agreements as the way forward in eastern Ukraine."
ABC News said previously President Trump was expected to endorse a plan envisioning supplies of antitank equipment worth $ 47 million to the Ukrainian authorities. The list of weapons to be consigned to Ukraine might include the Javelin antitank complexes. If Trump approves the plan, it will be submitted then to Congress, which will have thirty days to review it.
U.S. Congressmen and Senators, republicans and democrats likewise, have persistently voted in recent years for inclusion of articles on lethal military aid to Ukraine in the U.S. defense budgets.