If the US is genuinely committed to resolving the conflict in Ukraine through diplomacy, it should abandon its plans to provide more arms to Kiev and focus on talks, the Russian Embassy in Washington said on Wednesday.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the embassy suggested that American officials should instead focus on using their influence over Kiev to convince it to implement the Minsk agreement, a deal that saw a ceasefire implemented in east Ukraine in 2014.
The conflict in Donbass began after the events of the Maidan when violent street protests toppled a democratically elected government. This eventually led to the two self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR) declaring independence, a move recognized by neither Moscow nor Kiev. Seven years after the Minsk Protocol that formally put a stop to the war, fighting is still ongoing, and the agreement is yet to be implemented.
“If the United States is truly committed to diplomatic efforts to resolve the intra-Ukrainian conflict, they should abandon plans to supply new batches of weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the embassy’s statement said. “Instead, Washington should use its influence on the Ukrainian authorities to convince them to stop sabotaging the Minsk agreements.”
Last week, CNN reported that the US had secretly authorized an additional $200 million in military aid to Ukraine, including arms, ammunition, and radio equipment, in December 2021.
The latest financial support for Kiev comes as tensions on the Russian frontier with Ukraine remain high, and as Moscow stands accused of placing over 100,000 troops in the area in preparation for an invasion. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied these suggestions, claiming it has the sovereign right to move its own army on its own territory.