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The Kremlin warned Wednesday that increasing the supply of U.S. arms to Kyiv would aggravate the devastating 10-month war ignited by Russia’s illegal invasion and “does not bode well” for embattled Ukraine.
“Weapon supplies (by the U.S.) continue, the assortment of supplied weapons is expanding. All this, of course, leads to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Peskov’s comments were the first official Russian reaction to news that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was heading to Washington for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden. The trip would be Zelenskyy’s first known foreign trip since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion triggered a war that has killed thousands and laid waste to towns and cities across Ukraine.
Zelenskyy is expected to leave Washington with pledges of a massive $1.8 billion military aid package that would help his country defend itself from Russian aggression. The latest military hardware from the U.S. would include for the first time a Patriot missile battery and precision guided bombs for fighter jets, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
Peskov also confirmed media reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not deliver his annual state-of-the-nation address this year. Peskov wouldn’t comment on the reason for postponing the address until next year, saying only that it has to do with Putin’s “work schedule.”
Some Russian media have linked the decision to a war in which Russia long lost its momentum.
