Ukraine Demands More Heavy Weapons, Russia Warns US: This Is Unacceptable, We Demand An End

JAKARTA - Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said his party had warned Washington not to send more weapons to Ukraine.

Ukraine is known to expect an increase in shipments of heavy weapons, to deal with the war with Russia as the focus of the attack shifts from Kyiv to the eastern Donbas region.

"We stress that this situation is unacceptable when the United States is pouring weapons into Ukraine, and we demand an end to this practice", said Anatoly Antonov in an interview with TV channel Rossiya 24, as reported by Reuters on April 25.

Antonov further said an official diplomatic note had been sent to Washington, expressing Russia's concerns regarding this matter.

As previously reported, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday evening, pledging fresh aid worth US$713 million for the Zelensky Government and other countries in the region fearful of Russian aggression.

Earlier, President Joe Biden announced an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, expanding the scope of the system provided to include heavy artillery.

President Zelensky has pleaded with US and European leaders to supply Kyiv with heavier weapons and equipment.

Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands, displaced millions, and raised fears of a wider confrontation between Russia and the United States, by far the world's two largest nuclear powers.

President Vladimir Putin said special military operations in Ukraine were necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia and Moscow had to defend against the persecution of Russian-speaking people.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and the West themselves say Russia is starting a war of unwarranted aggression.