US 'challenges' Russia by sending anti-tank missiles to Ukraine?
The US military is preparing to send a shipment of military aid to Ukraine, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, the US Transportation Command said in a statement posted on Twitter on Sunday.
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"US Air Force personnel stationed at Dover Air Force Base are loading a foreign military shipment onto an Atlas Air Worldwide aircraft, destined for Ukraine. The United States has always supported Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement said.
The announcement was accompanied by a photo of the loading of packed rocket barrels. On the loading area, 120 missiles could be counted in their launch tubes. Missile storage compartments were also visible in the open cargo hold.
Previously, the US Embassy in Ukraine announced that it would transfer to the country weapons and equipment worth 60 million USD, including walkie-talkies, ammunition and Javelin missiles.
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| Photo illustration Sputniknews. |
The United States in March 2018 approved the delivery of the first batch of Javelin missiles to Ukraine, consisting of 37 launchers and 210 missiles worth a total of $47 million. The US State Department also approved the sale of a second batch of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine worth nearly $40 million.
The Russian Federation has repeatedly spoken out against plans to supply weapons to Ukraine, as this move will only exacerbate the conflict in Donbass. As the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly stated, supplying weapons to Ukraine from outside will not contribute to resolving the crisis in Donbass and implementing the Minsk agreements.
Most European politicians oppose supplying arms to Ukraine. For example, former OSCE Chairman and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that supplying arms to Ukraine is a very dangerous and counterproductive way to resolve the crisis.