Kremlin: Moscow has not decided yet on the provision of lethal weapons to Donbas separatists
The Kremlin declared that Moscow has made no decision concerning the supply of defensive weapons to the separatist-controlled territory of the eastern Ukraine following the US decision to supply Kyiv with such weapons.
"No decisions have been made regarding this," Russian President’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on December 25. According to him, the Kremlin has a negative attitude toward the US decision to supply Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank complexes.
On December 23, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert stated that the United States would provide Ukraine with enhanced defensive capabilities to help it "defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity." She stressed that the assistance to Ukraine is "entirely defensive in nature." Nauert has not clarified what exact weapons would be delivered to Ukraine.
ABC TV, citing State Department sources, reported that the weapons in question included 210 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers, all estimated to be worth a total of 47 million dollars.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded sharply, saying that the United States "in some sense, had crossed a line." President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko welcomed the decision and pointed out the defensive nature of the weapons.