The Russian Embassy in Germany has condemned Berlin's decision to send tanks and other military hardware to Ukraine, saying the move was conducive to escalation and appeared "cynical" amid Russia's unilateral declaration of ceasefire for Orthodox Christmas.
On Thursday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden in a phone call agreed on a new batch of military aid for Ukraine including heavy weapons. Germany announced plans to send Ukraine a battalion of about 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles and Patriot air defense systems, as well as train Ukrainian troops in their use.
"We strongly condemn this decision and see it as another step toward escalating the conflict in Ukraine. Its adoption looks especially cynical on the eve of the Orthodox Christmas holiday, which is highly revered in the Christian world, and also against the backdrop of ceasefire unilaterally announced by the Russian President in this regard," the embassy said in a statement.
The Russian embassy said the speed with which Germany and the US coordinated the new military aid for Ukraine "leaves no doubt that Berlin did it under serious pressure from Washington, acting in accordance with the destructive logic of transatlantic solidarity."
Berlin's decision to supply Kiev with heavy weapons will have "the most negative impact on Russian-German relations," the statement read.
Supplying lethal weapons that are then being used not only against Russian servicemen but also civilians in Donbass is a "moral line that the German authorities should not have crossed, given this country's historic responsibility before our nation," the embassy said.
The decision to send more heavy weapons to Ukraine also shows that Western countries are not interested in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict, the embassy said.
"Through their [Western countries'] efforts, Ukraine has actually been turned into a firing range and the Ukrainian people into a tool to achieve the West's geopolitical interests, which in the end lead only to the prolongation of hostilities, pointless casualties and destruction," the embassy added.
Since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Western countries have been providing Kiev with humanitarian, military and financial aid. Moscow has denounced the flow of weapons to Ukraine from its Western allies, saying it adds fuel to the fire.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov repeatedly noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.
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