By offering millions in support & taking it away on a whim, Washington acting ‘immorally’ with Kiev, says Russian Foreign Ministry

22 Jun, 2021 13:23

By Jonny Tickle

Following the decision to freeze $100-million-worth of military aid due to be sent to Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the US of acting immorally in its policy towards Kiev, and playing games for its own benefit.

According to spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Washington’s decision to keep the money, despite once pledging it, shows how the US is manipulating both the citizens and leadership of Ukraine. When the support was initially proposed, it benefited Washington. A few months later, the situation has changed, and the US immediately changed its mind.

“This is a classic game with Ukraine on the part of the US,” Zakharova said. “It is maneuvering and flirting. This [has been] a constant deception of the citizens of Ukraine for many years.”

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The spokeswoman’s statement comes after the White House denied temporarily freezing an aid package to Kiev worth up to $100 million. According to the publication Politico, Washington pledged the money earlier this spring, following a military build-up on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia border. The package was due to include “short-range air defense systems, small arms, and more anti-tank weapons,” it was reported. However, shortly before the landmark summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart, Joe Biden, last week, the White House allegedly put the package on hold.

After Politico published its claim that the aid had been halted, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan claimed the money had not been withdrawn, but was simply being kept “in reserve.”

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“So, it’s there, and the Russians know it’s there, and the Ukrainians know it’s there, but the idea that we have withheld any security assistance from Ukraine is simply nonsense,” Sullivan told Fox News on Sunday.

According to Zakharova, the decision to hold back the cash “in reserve” is “another example” of Washington’s duplicitous dealings with Kiev.

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