Volker: Russia has more tanks in the Donbas than Western Europe combined
US States Department Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that possible shipments of weaponry to Ukraine cannot provoke Russia, because Russia has already concentrated a large military contingent in the Ukrainian territory.
In an interview for Radio Svoboda’s “Current Time” project on July 25 in Paris, Volker emphasized that the current US government is discussing the matter of shipping lethal weapons to Ukraine.
“Russia is already in Ukraine with all its heavy weapons. Right now there are more Russian tanks there than in all Western European countries combined. It is a very, very large military contingent. An even bigger contingent is focused on the border with Ukraine,” Volker noted.
Volker recognized Russia’s right to deploy as much weaponry as it likes in its own territory, but not in Ukrainian territory.
“Russia has full right to do so. It’s their territory, they can deploy as many soldiers as they like there. So in no way can this decision provoke Russia to do something they haven’t already done. And in no way does this change the balance of forces,” the special representative of the US State Department believes.
According to him, President Barack Obama’s administration did not approve the shipment of weapons to the Ukrainian authorities despite the fact that it was supported by both houses of Congress. However, President Donald Trump’s administration is “reconsidering” this decision in order to “give Ukraine the ability to protect itself”.
“If we make such a decision, it will give Ukraine the ability to defend itself if Russia takes further steps on Ukrainian territory. Russia says that it ‘isn’t doing anything of the sort’ and does not intend to do so. If this is the case, the shipment of defensive weaponry will not constitute any risk to anyone,” Volker added.
On Sunday, Volker visited the Donbas, where he said that the combat in the region was “not a frozen conflict” but a “hot war”.