US to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine
Washington D.C. [United States], Dec 24 (ANI): United States will provide lethal weapons to Ukraine to help it fight Russian-backed separatists.
ANI
Dec 24, 2017 04:50 IST
Washington D.C. [United States], Dec 24 (ANI): United States will provide lethal weapons to Ukraine to help it fight Russian-backed separatists.
The US was going to provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression," CNN reported, citing the State Department as saying, in a statement.
The weapons include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The US-backed Ukrainian government has long sought the weapons for its fight against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 people since April 2014, according to the reports.
The US decision to supply Ukraine with anti-tank weapons meant that the United States "is clearly pushing [Ukraine] to new bloodshed," said Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.
The move comes when there is a slight increase in clashes between Ukrainian soldiers and Russian-backed separatists.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration reportedly approved the sale of Model M107A1 Sniper Systems and associated equipment to Kiev at a value of USD 41.5 million.
Kiev has consistently urged Washington for lethal weaponry, since the launch of the so-called Anti-Terrorist Operation in Eastern Ukraine in 2014. (ANI)
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