"Bloody New Year's gift to Kyiv," says Moscow after US announces military aid package for Ukraine

Moscow [Russia], December 28 (ANI): The Russian envoy to the US, Anatoly Antonov criticised the recent arms package by Washington to Ukraine, stating that it reflects an intention to fight Russia "to the last Ukrainian," Russia Today reported on Thursday.
Antonov called the latest round of military aid a "bloody New Year's gift to Kyiv" in remarks published on social media. The Americans "are pushing the puppet regime to the abyss, dooming thousands of ordinary Ukrainians to certain death," he warned.
On the other hand, the official emphasized Russia's recent success in acquiring the town of Maryinka in the Donetsk People's Republic, a strategic Ukrainian stronghold. According to Antonov, the US tends to ignore such developments and instead focuses on highlighting "Ukrainian fetish victories."
Antonov called the latest round of military aid a "bloody New Year's gift to Kyiv" in remarks published on social media. The Americans "are pushing the puppet regime to the abyss, dooming thousands of ordinary Ukrainians to certain death," he warned.
On the other hand, the official emphasized Russia's recent success in acquiring the town of Maryinka in the Donetsk People's Republic, a strategic Ukrainian stronghold. According to Antonov, the US tends to ignore such developments and instead focuses on highlighting "Ukrainian fetish victories."
The diplomat predicted that any arms provided by NATO nations to Ukraine would be "burned and destroyed" without altering the situation on the ground.
The diplomat's remarks came in response to the $250 million worth of military assistance, including air defence munitions, rockets, artillery shells, and small-arms rounds, approved on Wednesday by the administration of US President Joe Biden.
The White House could not appropriate more funding for Ukraine after Republican opposition in Congress blocked its request. The lawmakers have demanded major concessions on immigration reform and southern border security as a precondition for their approval of spending additional billions of taxpayers' dollars on Ukraine support. US officials have indicated that this latest package would be the last under the current spending allowance.
US President Joe Biden has accused those lawmakers opposed to more Ukraine spending of jeopardizing national security by tying it to domestic policy issues. He suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin might attack a NATO member after dealing with Ukraine.
Putin dismissed this remark as "absolute nonsense," saying that Biden was using exacerbated rhetoric to cover up his administration's foreign policy failures. Moscow maintains that preventing NATO expansion into Ukraine is a key objective in the conflict.
Earlier today, the US State Department announced a military aid package worth USD 250 million, the final such package that the United States will provide to Ukraine until Congress approves the Joe Biden administration's funding requests, CNN reported.
"This package provides up to USD 250 million of arms and equipment under previously directed drawdowns for Ukraine," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
"Capabilities provided in today's package include air defence munitions, other air defence system components, additional ammunition for high mobility artillery rocket systems, 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition, anti-armour munitions, and over 15 million rounds of ammunition," the statement added.
The Biden administration, last week, revealed its intention to unveil one additional Ukraine security package before the end of the year. However, it emphasised that it would be the final package that the United States could extend to Ukraine without obtaining explicit approval from lawmakers.
"Once these funds are obligated, the Department will have exhausted the funding available to us for security assistance to Ukraine," said Defence Department comptroller Mike McCord in a letter to Congress.
This package marks the limit of the US' ability to provide weapons to Ukraine without additional funding from Congress. (ANI)