Putin: Supply of American weapons to Ukraine will not change the situation in Donbas
The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stated that the supply of US weapons to Ukraine, if such a decision is made, won’t change anything in the Donbas, as he told journalists at a press conference after the BRICS summit.
“It is the sovereign decision of the United States to sell weapons or supply for free, and which country gets this help. We can’t influence this process, but there are common international rules and approaches. The supply of weapons to the conflict zone is not beneficial to the peacekeeping process, but only exacerbates the situation. If this happens in this case this action will not change the situation. It won’t affect the situation in any way. But the number of victims can certainly increase, "he said.
At the same time, Putin warned that the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) and LPR (Luhansk People’s Republic) could respond with their own arms supplies to "other conflict zones that are sensitive to those who create problems for them."
"The self-proclaimed republics have enough weapons, including those captured from the opposing side and from nationalist battalions. If American weapons enter the conflict zone, it's difficult to predict how the self-proclaimed republics will react," Putin said.
In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Pentagon had developed a plan to provide weapons to Ukraine and was awaiting President Trump's approval. Ukraine has long been trying to get the FGM-148 Javelin (anti-tank missile system) to more effectively combat Russian produced armored vehicles.
In early August, the US Department of Defense sent a proposal to the White House for a new aid package worth $50 million, which provides for the sending of Javelin antitank complexes to Ukraine.