Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that an increase of military aid to Ukraine could aggravate the 10-month conflict.
This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reported to have been preparing to address the Congress for his plans amid the continuity of the battle.
In an official statement released by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a recent press briefing in Moscow, he claimed that the expansion of Western weapon supplies to Ukraine would “lead to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine.”
When asked whether the Ukraine President’s visit to Washington would possibly lead to possible peace talks with Russia, Peskov responded, claiming “I don’t think so.”
Russia warns of “unpredictable consequences” if US sends Patriot missiles to Ukraine https://t.co/sPXDG3WGFf pic.twitter.com/W875SDqlqJ— The Hill (@thehill) December 15, 2022
In an exclusive report released by Fox News, it was revealed that Peskov’s comments “were the first official Russian reaction to news that Zelenskyy was heading to Washington the president’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 met with President Joe Biden in Washington Wednesday, where U.S. officials announced a huge new military aid package for Kyiv. He later addressed Congress, where he thanked U.S. leaders and “ordinary Americans” for their support in fighting off the invaders and pressed for additional aid,” he added.
Moreover, US President Joe Biden also released an official statement, claiming that the U.S. and Ukraine would continue to show Russia a “united defense” as Russia warns to wage a “brutal assault on Ukraine’s right to exist as a nation.”
According to the US officials, a whopping $1.8 billion package includes a Patriot missile battery and precision guided bombs for fighter jets.
As a result, Russian President Putin held a meeting with his top military brass, where he revealed that Moscow would take lessons learned in the conflict to “develop our armed forces and strengthen the capability of our troops.”
The president also added that a special emphasis on the said matter would go to developing nuclear forces, which he described as “the main guarantee of Russia’s sovereignty.”
Furthermore, Putin also claimed that “the Russian military’s new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile will enter service shortly. The Sarmat is intended to replace aging Soviet-built ballistic missiles and form the core of Russia’s nuclear forces,” Fox News added.
Meanwhile, amid the controversy, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also released a statement, claiming that “the beefed-up Russian military will include 695,000 volunteer contract soldiers, 521,000 of whom should be recruited by the end of 2023. The Russian military had about 400,000 contract soldiers as part of its 1-million-member military before the fighting in Ukraine began,” the report continued.
According to Shoigu, Russia is set to form new units in the country’s west in view of ambitions by Finland and Sweden to join NATO.
