Russia Warns US over Sending Long-Range Missiles to Kyiv
Story Code : 1155420
Yegor Chernev, deputy chief of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, said earlier that the Kyiv authorities would like to get JASSM long-range cruise missiles from the US for the F-16 fighter jets that have started to arrive in the country.
"The US authorities should remember that Russia is not interested in further escalating military tensions across the globe but it is always prepared to give a tit-for-tat response to any aggressive actions," Mikhail Sheremet, member of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) Security and Anti-Corruption Committee, told TASS.
According to him, if the US provides JASSM cruise missiles to Ukraine, it will automatically become a sponsor of terrorism and an accomplice in the killing of Russian civilians. The State Duma member pointed out that over the past decade, the US had been consistently violating international laws and rules, interfering in the domestic affairs of independent countries regularly.
Politico wrote earlier, citing US officials, that Washington was open to the idea of sending JASSM long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, although no final decision had been made yet. Neither the White House nor the US Department of State or the Pentagon responded to TASS’ requests for comment.
According to Politico, the US shares such missiles only with close allies. "Poland, Australia, and Finland have the weapon, while Japan and the Netherlands signed agreements to buy the missiles in July with delivery expected in the coming years. Germany, Greece, Romania, and Denmark are also in discussions to buy the missile," the media outlet reported.