We will continue to support Ukraine and impose a heavy price on Russia

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken confirmed today, Saturday, that Washington will continue to impose a heavy price on Russia through sanctions and export restrictions, which restricts the Kremlin’s ability to wage war.

“We will stand by Ukraine with our allies so that it can continue to defend itself and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table when the time comes,” Blinken added, in a statement published by the US State Department on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the start of the Russian military operation against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. .

The statement also said that “the Russian government remains the only obstacle to achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”

cluster munitions

The United States announced on Friday that it would provide Ukraine with widely banned cluster bombs to use in its counterattack against Russian forces.

The US Department of Defense also made it clear that the US move met with resistance from allies who did not accept it.

While US President Joe Biden confirmed, in an interview with CNN, that taking it was “very difficult” at a time when Kiev forces are struggling to advance in the field in a counterattack launched a month ago to restore Russian-controlled lands in eastern and southern Ukraine.

However, Washington was reassured that it had obtained guarantees from Kiev that these weapons, which were banned by several countries, would not be used against civilians, stressing that supplying Ukraine with these bombs was “right”.

Ukraine welcomes.. and Russia: evidence of weakness

In turn, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov pledged not to use these munitions on Russian territory, welcoming the American decision.

He said that the ammunition will contribute to saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, adding that Ukraine will be strictly committed to recording its use of ammunition and exchanging information with its partners.

Today, Saturday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova considered that Washington’s provision of cluster munitions to Kiev is evidence of weakness.

“The supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine will not affect the course of a special military operation in any way,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, noting that sending cluster munitions is evidence of despair against the background of the failure of the Ukrainian “counterattack”.