The United States is waiting for significant progress in diplomatic work around Ukraine, but will not stop meeting the country's defense needs. This was announced on Friday, December 17, by Assistant to the US President for National Security Jake Sullivan, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations.
He stressed that the United States is helping Ukraine with defense support, because they consider it necessary for their interests.
"We are continuing defense assistance to Ukraine, more equipment will arrive soon. We are constantly providing additional needs (of the country - Ed.)," Sullivan replied, a recording of the event is available on the website of the C-SPAN TV channel.
The presidential aide noted that the decision on the further supply of weapons to Ukraine will be made by US President Joe Biden.
Earlier in the day, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky agreed on the need for dialogue with Russia. During the conversation, the head of the British government said that the UK would use all its diplomatic and economic capabilities to prevent any Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Also on Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry published draft agreements between Russia and the United States and NATO on security guarantees. The documents have already been handed over to Washington and its allies. As follows from the documents, in particular, the alliance should refuse to conduct any military activity on the territory of Ukraine and other states of Eastern Europe, Transcaucasia and Central Asia.
In addition, on December 17, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Ukraine's involvement in NATO and the prospect of deploying alliance strike missile systems near the borders of the Russian Federation are an unacceptable threat to security. Moscow demands the withdrawal of the decision of the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest that Ukraine and Georgia will become members of the alliance. However, there is no readiness on the part of the West for this, Ryabkov added.
Russia's permanent representative to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, is convinced that the United States, with the help of NATO partners, has aggravated the already difficult situation in Ukraine to the limit. According to him, the statements of Russian officials in the Western media are censored. Russia is being made an "aggressor" without having any weighty arguments, he pointed out.
