Russia Expresses Irritation, Warns of 'Unprecedented Consequences' if US Keeps Helping Ukraine in War

Two officials said Russia has issued a formal diplomatic note to the Biden administration urging the US against further arming Ukraine.

The message, which was addressed to the State Department, highlighted Moscow's displeasure with President Joe Biden's decision to continue improving weapons exports while the violence in eastern Ukraine intensifies. It utilized the same rhetoric that Russia has been using to criticize Western attempts to strengthen Ukraine's military against invading Russian soldiers for some time, CBS News reported.

Russia Warns US To Stop Arming Ukraine

Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier described the tactic as part of a plan to boost Kyiv's negotiation clout in the hope of reaching a negotiated settlement to the conflict. The diplomatic message from Russia to the United States was originally published by the Washington Post, which described Russian officials as stating that the arms shipments might have "unpredictable repercussions."

The statement comes as President Biden approved an extension of the United States' military support to Ukraine this week, including $800 million worth of armaments and medium-range howitzers that might be beneficial in the next phase of the fight in eastern Ukraine.

The provision of armaments, notably anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems, is credited for deterring Russian attempts to overrun Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. The Russian Embassy in Washington issued a two-page diplomatic message or démarche to the State Department on Tuesday.

It was titled "On Russia's Concerns in the Context of Massive Supplies of Weapons and Military Equipment to the Kyiv Regime," and it accused the US and NATO allies of attempting to force Ukraine to abandon talks with Russia in order to keep the bloodshed going while pressuring other countries to cut military and technical ties with Moscow.

Multiple launch rocket systems were among the weaponry Russia classified as "most sensitive" although the US and NATO have not indicated they are delivering such systems to Ukraine.

This amounted to a breach of the "rigorous standards" controlling the transfer of weapons to war zones, as well as a failure to recognize the possibility of high-precision weaponry getting into the hands of extreme nationalists, radicals, and bandit groups in Ukraine.

US Sends New Security Assistance Worth $800 Million to Ukraine

Russia has made repeated allegations that it is seeking to 'denazify' Ukraine, accusations that have been debunked. Instead, according to a senior administration source, the message is an acknowledgement that the US policy is succeeding.

This week, the newest round of security assistance was disclosed. According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, the $800 million package brings the total cost of the invasion to $3.2 billion since it began in late February.

This fresh package of support will incorporate many of the extremely successful weapons systems we have previously delivered, as well as additional capabilities targeted to the broader attack we expect Russia to deploy in eastern Ukraine, according to President Joe Biden.

Per Daily Mail, the United States has previously dispatched lethal kamikaze Switchblade drones, which are one-time-use aircraft that crash into their intended target. To target tanks, some can be outfitted with armor-piercing warheads. According to observers, the diplomatic statement might signal the start of a new phase in which Moscow targets armament convoys entering Ukraine.