MOSCOW, February 4. /TASS/. The Foreign Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic believes that arms supplies to Ukraine would be impermissible and a violation of international law.
"We regard such intentions as violations of Article 3 of Chapter II of the International Code of Conduct on Arms Transfers," the Donetsk Republic’s Foreign Ministry said. "The article prohibits weapons supplies to the countries responsible for genocide, extra-judicial deaths, torture and keeping people in custody in violation of international human rights standards."
"The Donetsk Republic’s Foreign Ministry regards such supplies as impermissible and emphasizes its intention to demand thorough investigation of such facts by all international agencies concerned," the Donetsk News Agency says.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, speaking in Kharkiv on February 3, voiced the certainty that if need be the United States and other partners would make a decision in favor of weapons supplies to Ukraine.
US Department of State spokesman Jen Psaki said Washington was still considering all ideas of providing assistance to Ukraine, including military supplies.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier pointed to the need for settling the conflict in Donbas by peaceful means.
"The hope an arms build-up would promote deescalation has nothing to do with the reality," he said. The authorities of Denmark, Finland, Hungary and some other countries voiced a similar stance.