MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. Moscow is probing into reports that Ecuador is going to transfer Russian military equipment to the United States, Russia’s ambassador to Ecuador Vladimir Sprinchan has said on the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

"We are making inquiries. We have notified the Ecuadorian authorities of Russia's position: the Americans do not need this equipment, the more so since it was called scrap metal. It is needed by those who know how to handle Russian-made equipment. We warned the authorities that this would be an unfriendly step, especially since the president of Ecuador declared his country's peace-making stance regarding the special military operation and the conflict in Ukraine," Sprinchan said.

He emphasized that sending "this so-called scrap metal would be a contribution to the conflict on one side."

"That is, the position stated by the head of state about neutrality and the search for possible mediation between Russia and Ukraine in resolving this issue by diplomatic means will be violated. We will continue to monitor [the situation] and to provide information accordingly," the ambassador concluded.

Earlier, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said that his country would transfer Russian-made machinery to the US in exchange for new equipment worth a total of $200 million.