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Russia slams Germany's decision to supply Kiev with Marders ‘a step towards escalation’

The diplomatic mission added that Berlin took this step "including under serious pressure from Washington"

BERLIN, January 6. /TASS/. The Russian Embassy in Berlin has condemned the decision of Germany to send Marder infantry fighting vehicles and an additional Patriot battery to Kiev, according to the diplomatic mission’s statement issued on Friday.

"We strongly condemn this decision and see it as another step toward an escalation of the Ukrainian conflict," the embassy said, "Its adoption looks especially cynical on the eve of the Orthodox Christmas holiday, highly revered in the Christian world, and against the background of the ceasefire unilaterally announced by the Russian president in this regard."

The diplomatic mission added that Berlin took this step "including under serious pressure from Washington".

The statement pointed out that "pumping Kiev with lethal weapons and heavy military equipment" was "a moral boundary that the German authorities should not have crossed, given Germany's historical responsibility" for Nazi crimes during World War II.

"With Berlin's adoption of this decision, it is becoming increasingly clear that that country and the other Western countries are not interested in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict," the embassy stressed.

On Thursday, following telephone conversations between US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the sides issued a joint statement announcing that the US administration intended to supply Ukraine with US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Germany was ready to provide Ukraine with Marder infantry fighting vehicles. It also noted that both countries were planning to train Ukrainian troops on how to operate the respective systems.

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