An official note from Russian diplomacy has been sent to the US administration as the United States prepares to send an additional $800 million military aid package to Ukraine. The Washington Post revealed the existence of this note this week.
Russia formally protested this week against the shipment of weapons by the United States to Ukraine, sending a diplomatic note to the State Department and warning of “unforeseeable consequences” if the support continued, according to two US administration officials and another source familiar with the document.
An announcement that comes as a new shipment of weapons is supposed to be transferred to Ukraine in a few days, following an urgent appeal made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Joe Biden. A tense situation amid changing strategy with Russian forces mobilizing for a major assault on the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and along the coastal strip of Russian-occupied Crimea to the south . Russian troops have withdrawn from much of the north of the country, including around the capital, kyiv.
US officials tell CNN that Russia has formally protested the US’s ongoing shipment of weapons to Ukraine, sending a diplomatic note to the State Department warning of “unpredictable consequences” should the support continue https://t.co/LanH0FOwIH
CNN International (@cnni) April 15, 2022
Russian experts said Moscow has labeled arms convoys entering the country as legitimate military targets. If these convoys have not yet been targeted Russia may change strategy and attack these supplies.
Russia has indeed accused the allies of violating the “rigorous principles“governing the transfer of arms to conflict areas and being oblivious to”the threat of high-precision weapons falling into the hands of radical nationalists, extremists and bandits in Ukraine“.
Russian diplomacy accuses NATO of trying to pressure Ukraine to “abandoned” the so far fruitless negotiations,”to continue the bloodshed“. Such an attack would be “a very important escalation move, first and foremost because it poses a threat to the West if it is unable to maintain supply to Ukraine, which by extension could decrease Ukraine’s self-defense capability“.
A risk whichshould not be minimized“, according to the fearful USA “that an attempt to hit a convoy inside Ukraine could escalate and spill over the Ukrainian border into NATO territory”.
Senior US defense officials remain concerned about the possibility of such attacks. “We do not take for granted any movement of weapons and systems into Ukraine.”according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.