rki.news
MOSCOW, Sept. 5 — Russia criticized Washington’s approval of a major missile sale to Ukraine, warning it undermines prospects for peace and risks intensifying the conflict.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday the U.S. decision to provide 3,350 Extended-Range Attack Munitions (ERAM) missiles contradicts its stated commitment to diplomacy. “Military assistance will only prolong Ukraine’s suffering and heighten the danger of uncontrolled escalation,” she told reporters at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
The U.S. Department of State approved the $825 million deal on Aug. 28, with much of the funding expected to come from European partners. According to U.S. media, the missiles are expected to arrive in Ukraine within six weeks. The approval followed separate August meetings U.S. President Donald Trump held with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zakharova also rejected comments by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about plans for potential European troop deployment to Ukraine after the conflict ends. She described such proposals as “fundamentally unacceptable” and warned they would “undermine the security of everyone in the region.”
Moscow has consistently argued that Western military support will not resolve the conflict but instead fuel instability. Russian officials maintain that only dialogue and negotiated solutions can prevent further escalation and restore regional stability.