The White House has brushed aside concerns over a formal complaint from Russia, reportedly sent to the US after Washington announced its latest $800-million package of weapons supplies to Ukraine. Press Secretary Jen Psaki appeared to call the message an “empty threat” during her Monday briefing.
Psaki was asked about the warning, in which Moscow reportedly mentioned “unpredictable consequences” of Washington’s continued arming of Ukrainian troops with increasingly sophisticated weapons. The note was reported last week by US media.
“We’re not going to comment. I mean, I’m not going to speculate on empty threats or threats by President [Vladimir] Putin or by Russian leadership,” Psaki told journalists.
She added that US assistance for Ukraine will continue, as promised by US President Joe Biden. Other US officials made statements in the same vein last week.
The letter from Moscow accuses NATO of pressuring Ukraine to abandon negotiations with Russia “in order to continue the bloodshed,” and condemned Washington for encouraging more arms supplies, according to media reports. Neither Washington nor Moscow have confirmed them.