US HIMARS high mobility artillery missile system. File photoWASHINGTON, Jun 15The Pentagon's statements about the supply of HIMARS MLRS to Kyiv demonstrate a readiness for an escalation of the situation and a lack of aspirations for a peaceful settlement, said Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov. The diplomat's comment was posted on the embassy's Telegram channel. Earlier, the United States approved the supply of HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine, provided that Kyiv does not use them to strike at Russian territory. Volodymyr Zelensky publicly promised that Ukraine would comply with this demand. At the same time, Verkhovna Rada deputy Yegor Chernev did not rule out US missile strikes on Russian territory. The Kremlin said that there is no trust in the Kyiv authorities, since Zelensky did not fulfill any of his promises for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Donbass. Such words can be regarded as Washington's intention to go for further escalation. This only confirms that the Americans have no aspirations for a peaceful settlement,» Antonov said.
He noted that the statements were made on the eve of the next meeting of the United States and its allies on military support to Ukraine. Thus, the administration is setting up like-minded people to have no alternative to pumping the Kyiv regime with weapons,» the ambassador added. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any shipments of weapons would become a legitimate target for the Russian Aerospace Forces. According to presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov, pumping Ukraine with weapons from Western countries does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect. Since February 24, Russia has been conducting a special operation to denazify and demilitarize Ukraine. Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» transfer intelligence to Ukraine for MLRS strikes