Statement on a possible US ammunition sale to Ukraine
The U.S. Department of State issued an emergency statement on Monday (April 25, 2022) authorizing a potential $165 million sale of ammunition to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov then warned of the “significant” risks of nuclear war.
According to a US ministry statement, the Ukrainian government said it had to buy “nonstandard ammunition” cartridges that are not regulated by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
“As the Ukrainian armed forces spend ammunition to defend their country, their daily supply needs continue to increase,” the foreign ministry said. The panel also stated that the state of emergency was due to “critically low ammunition stocks” in Ukraine.
On Sunday (April 24), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid his first official visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began. Accompanied by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Blinken pledged new military aid to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This was the first time an emergency statement was issued during US President Joe Biden’s administration. This type of measure has not been used since 2019, when former President Donald Trump decided to sell military equipment to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
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“The risks [de uma guerra nuclear] are significant now,” Lavrov warned in an interview with Russian state television. “I don’t want to artificially increase those risks. Many would wish for that. The danger is serious, real. And we shouldn’t underestimate him.”
Lavrov accused NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) of “being involved in a war with Russia through a proxy” and “arming that proxy”, which would be Ukraine.
fur chirp, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Russian comments showed the country had lost its “last hope of scaring the world” in the face of US support. “It just means that Moscow feels defeated,” he added.
