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Trump's administration approves lethal arms sales to Ukraine — US State Department

The Washington Post said earlier the State Department approved a commercial license authorizing the export of sniper systems and ammunition to Ukraine

© AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez

WASHINGTON, December 21. /TASS/. The US Department of State has confirmed licensing commercial export of US-manufactured lethal weapons to Ukraine.

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"The Department of State has licensed the commercial export of a limited number of small arms and light weapons to Ukraine from U.S. manufacturers," a State Department official told TASS on Wednesday.

According to the official, the United States has "never had any policy that restricts such commercial sales." "The United States reviews requests for sales and export license applications on a case by case basis and this one was no different," he said.

"The United States government has neither directly sold nor granted defensive weapons to Ukraine nor ruled out the option of doing so," he added.

The Washington Post said earlier citing its sources in the US government that the Department of State had approved a commercial license for exports to Ukraine of Barrett M107A1 sniper systems, munitions and spare parts for them to a sum of $41.5 million. "We have crossed the Rubicon, this is lethal weapons and I predict more will be coming," the newspaper cited a senior congressional official.

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