Russian Ambassador in the United States Anatoly Antonov said on Thursday, commenting on the White House's decision to deliver Bradley fighting vehicles to Kiev, that Washington does not want a political settlement of the Ukraine conflict.
Earlier in the day, the Defense Department said the Biden administration will announce another military assistance package for Ukraine on Friday that will include Bradley fighting vehicles. According to media reports, the package will include $3 billion worth of military equipment.
"This step [the delivery of Bradley fighting vehicles] comes as a confirmation that our interlocutors in the United States have not even tried to listen to our numerous calls to take into account possible consequences of such a dangerous course by Washington," Antonov told journalists.
"Nobody should still have doubts who bears responsibility for prolonging this conflict. All the actions by the administration indicate a lack of any desire for a political settlement."
The ambassador said that any talk about a "defensive nature" of weapons that Western countries supply to Kiev has long become "absurd," adding that "it is finally becoming clear to the whole international community that in 2014 the US unleashed a real proxy-war against Russia by supporting nazi criminals in Kiev."
"The actions of the administration spur Ukrainian radicals to proceed with their terrible deeds. With every consecutive transfer of arms their feeling of impunity grows stronger," Antonov said.
The ambassador noted the West started "to purposefully weaken Russia" under the US leadership long before the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, recalling statements made by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and ex-French President Francois Hollande.
In December, Merkel told the Zeit newspaper that the 2014 Minsk agreement "was an attempt to give Ukraine extra time." The former chancellor said she doubted NATO countries could have done as much then as they were doing now to help Ukraine.
Pentagon: US Exploring Variety of Locations for Training Ukrainian Forces on Patriot System
The Biden administration is still working out the details of the Patriot missile systems training for Ukrainian military personnel and exploring both locations inside the United States and overseas, Defense Department Press Secretary Pat Ryder said during a press briefing.
“The details on the training of the Patriot missile systems are still being worked out in coordination with our Ukrainian partners,” Ryder said on Thursday.
"I can tell you that we're exploring a variety of options to include potential training here, in the US, overseas, or a combination of both."
Ryder added that the United States continues to have discussions on the delivery of any additional Patriot systems to Ukraine.
Earlier reports indicated that the Defense Department was considering the possibility of training Ukrainian forces at military bases within the US, a notable development as the majority of training to date has taken place in European countries.
In December, the Biden administration announced a new $1.85 billion security package for Ukraine that includes one Patriot air defense system.
A senior US defense official said the training of Ukrainian troops on how to operate Patriot air defense systems is going to take several months while it usually takes up to a year in normal conditions.
Talk of additional Patriot deployments for Ukraine have more recently stirred after the Biden administration confirmed it would be announcing a new batch of Ukraine military aid. It is expected that Bradley vehicles will be included in this latest installment.
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