The Foreign Ministry of Russia said that if the US confirms allegations that it intends to supply sophisticated air defense missiles to Ukraine, it will be another “provocative move” by the US, prompting a response from Moscow.
Following news that the US would send Kyiv Patriot surface-to-air missiles, the most advanced the West has yet sent to aid Ukraine’s military fend off Russian aerial assaults, Russian ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, December 15, that “the US has effectively become a party” to the war in Ukraine.
According to Zakharova, increasing American military help, especially the use of such sophisticated weapons, suggests even greater military involvement in the conflicts and could have “consequences.”
Officials from the US reportedly announced on Tuesday that Washington was ready to authorize the deployment of a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine, finally granting an urgent request from Ukrainian leaders as Ukraine fights back the Russian invasion. The Russian official did not, however, further explain the potential repercussions might be.
Patriot missile system, which is primarily used by the US Army and US-allied states, employs cutting-edge radar systems and aerial interceptor missiles, which are manufactured by the US itself.
Leaders at the White House and the Pentagon have frequently stated that supplying Ukraine with more air defenses is a priority, as the country is rocket-riddled by Russia.
This comes as Russia also warned the European Union (EU) on the provision of military assistance to Ukraine after the EU approved an additional €500 million in funding and troop training in October, claiming that the EU is “of course, a party to the [Ukraine] conflict.”
