MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/. The West has been encouraging Ukraine in its demands for more weapons, and this has led to a major escalation, with NATO countries getting increasingly involved in the conflict, while this cannot change the course of events, and the special military operation will march on, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.
Commenting on a remark by former Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrey Melnik, Ukraine’s current deputy foreign minister, who said Berlin might send "a German submarine, one of the world’s best," to Kiev, Peskov said, "Ukraine has been asking for more and newer weapons. The West has been encouraging these demands, [while confirming] its readiness to provide these weapons. This has been a stalemate, leading to a major escalation, with NATO countries getting increasingly involved in this conflict directly."
"However, this cannot and will not change the course of events, as the special military operation will continue," the Russian presidential spokesman vowed.
On January 25, the Biden administration announced plans to supply 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Kiev. In its turn, the German government confirmed that it would send 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its stockpiles to Ukraine and authorize their re-export by other countries. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Leopard 2 tanks would be delivered to Ukraine before the end of March. On January 25, defense officials in Norway and Slovakia also voiced their intention to send tanks to the Zelensky regime. Earlier, the decision to provide tanks to Ukraine was announced by authorities in the UK, Poland and France.