Russia says the tanks Britain plans to send to Ukraine “will burn” there, warning the West against sending more advanced weapons to the ex-Soviet republic since such consignments will not “change” the outcome of the war.
Early last week, reports emerged that London was planning to send the British Army’s Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine. The reports were confirmed on Saturday, when British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, pledged to send Kiev 14 such tanks and additional advanced artillery systems in the coming weeks.
According to Downing Street, the move showed “the UK’s ambition to intensify support” of Ukraine in its war with Russia.
On Monday, the Kremlin responded to the move, saying the UK uses Ukraine as a tool to achieve what it said London’s anti-Russian goals.
“They are using this country [Ukraine] as a tool to achieve their anti-Russian goals,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a call with reporters when asked about the British tanks, warning, “These tanks are burning and will burn just like the rest.”
He said the new arms and equipment from countries like Britain and Poland would not change the situation on the ground, but were an attempt to prolong the war, which, he said, would in the end bring “more troubles” on Ukraine.
Russia started what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine with the declared aim of “de-Nazifying” the country on February 24, 2022. Since then, the United States and Europe have imposed waves of unprecedented economic sanctions on Moscow and have given Ukraine tens of billions of dollars’ worth of weaponry, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles and communications systems. The Kremlin has time and again warned the sanctions and the Western military assistance will only prolong the war.
The new development came after France also announced that it would send Ukraine its light AMX-10 RC armored combat vehicles, which are described as a wheeled tank destroyer or light tank.
The US, for its part, has said it would consider supplying Ukraine with Bradley Fighting Vehicles, while Germany has pledged to send 40 Marder fighting vehicles infantry fighting vehicles within weeks as part of a new phase of support coordinated with Washington.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during an interview aired late on the weekend that the war had gained positive momentum and that he hoped his troops would deliver more wins after Moscow said Russian forces took control of the eastern Ukrainian salt-mining town of Soledar following a fierce fighting.
Allies of Ukraine on January 20 are due to meet in Ramstein, Germany, to discuss providing it with more arms.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is currently under pressure to allow the export of Leopard 2 battle tanks to Kiev.
Source: RT
