Foreign minister Grigory Karasin says supply of ‘defensive’ aid could derail peace process in eastern Ukraine’s civil war

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Russian officials have said the US decision to supply weapons to Ukraine will fuel conflict in the east of the country.

The US state department said on Friday that it would provide Ukraine with “enhanced defensive capabilities” as it continued to fight Russia-backed separatists in a low-intensity conflict.

Until now, the US has only provided Ukraine with support equipment and training. It has also allowed private companies to sell small arms such as rifles to the country.

But it is understood that arms such as the US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles can now be delivered to Ukraine. This was unconfirmed by the state department, however.

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Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Grigory Karasin, told Russian state media that the US decision “raises the danger of derailing the process of peaceful settlement in Ukraine”.

The de facto change in policy, signed off by the state department and the Pentagon earlier this year, is likely to escalate tensions between the US and Russia.

Barack Obama had considered sending weapons to Ukraine when he was president of the US, but stopped short of directly providing heavy armaments. Donald Trump, Obama’s successor, is contending with widespread criticism that he has been soft on Russia, amid allegations that Russian interference in the 2016 US election contributed to his victory.

“US assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself,” said Heather Nauert, spokeswoman for the state department.

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But European leaders urged the parties involved in the negotiation of a ceasefire to face their responsibilities and implement the agreed plan. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a joint statement that “there is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful settlement of the conflict”.

They also called for the return of Russian officers to the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination in Ukraine, which is helping to facilitate the ceasefire, after their withdrawal on Wednesday.

A civil war has been waged between pro-Russia separatists and Ukrainian government forces since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. More than 10,000 people have died in the conflict so far.

Kiev has accused Moscow of sending troops and heavy weapons to the region, which Russia denies, while Washington says Moscow is arming, training and fighting alongside the separatists.

The Russian foreign ministry said the US decision undermined the 2015 Minsk agreement, which was intended to end the fighting in Ukraine.