WASHINGTON, January 17. /TASS/. Washington’s policy of weakening Moscow’s economic and military potential remains unchanged as the United States will try to defeat Russia in Ukraine, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, told TASS in an interview.

"It should be understood that the US political elites have no insurmountable disagreements among themselves over Ukraine," the diplomat said, answering the question of whether there were changes in the US position on Ukraine. According to him, "The idea of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia is the cornerstone idea around which the Democratic team [of President Joe Biden] will attempt to reach an agreement with [Ukraine aid skeptics among Republican] conservatives on Capitol Hill on the eve of the US election. Therefore, the [core] policy of trying to weaken our country, to undermine its military and economic potential, remains unchanged," he emphasized.

"Washington is unable to achieve what it wants. It appears that the Russophobes have tried everything: multibillion-dollar financing and direct arms deliveries. Tremendous sums of money are being spent, but to no avail," Antonov said. "In seeking to shield itself from criticism, the administration has no qualms about declaring that 90% of the funds allocated to the Ukrainians end up being deposited on the accounts of domestic defense industry enterprises. It deploys terms like ‘effective investment’ as a cover. This spending, they say, is ostensibly fueling the national economy."

"However, such a linguistic juggling act only serves to demonstrate a [profound] lack of understanding of what is actually happening in the world, that is the gradual breakdown of the US-centric order," Antonov noted. "Hence the inability of the domestic ‘hawks’ to draw any lessons from the fiasco of the so-called Ukrainian counteroffensive. It is not enough for them to see that they are neck-deep in the ditch that they have dug for themselves. Now they are dragging their allies into it as if they do not notice that their partners have opened their eyes and see the growing problems of the United States in the Middle East and in the dialogue with China."

"Here is one telling example. In 2013, we invited representatives from the US armed forces to the first Tank Biathlon contest near Moscow. For reasons that were unclear at the time, they declined the invitation. Today, however, we can now see that there were doubts [among the US military brass] about their success in competing with our [military] vehicles. Such fears were absolutely justified. The special operation has proven conclusively: [US-made] Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles are simply unable to radically change the situation on the battlefield. We will stand firm, because the freedom and independence of our homeland is at stake," Antonov said.

The full text of the interview is available on the TASS website: https://tass.com/politics/1733371.