WASHINGTON, June 8. /TASS/. The US government has violated its commitments in a flagrant way by supplying the Kiev government with Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters earlier intended for Afghanistan, the Russian embassy said in a statement on Wednesday.
"We noted that the yet another package of US military aid to Ukraine includes four Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters, earlier purchased by Washington for the Afghan government," the embassy said. "This delivery is being carried out in circumvention of the end user certificate clause, which requires a written consent from Russia. This is a flagrant violation of the commitments by the US side. Despite our numerous requests for explanations, the US failed to provide a coherent response."
"Disregard for international norms can also be seen in deliveries of Stinger man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) to Kiev. Among them is the UN General Assembly Resolution 62/40 dated 2007, and of ‘Elements for export controls of man-portable air defence systems’ (2003), agreed as part of the Wassenaar Arrangements and directly aimed at minimizing risks of the above-mentioned weapons falling into hands of non-state actors," the embassy said.
"The US side admits the risk of MANPADS being acquired by third countries. It is of no coincidence that a Russia-US agreement on informing each other about foreign sales of MANPADS has been in place for many years," the statement says.