This is reported by the Ukrainian portal “The Kyiv Independent”.
Her comments appeared a week after US Congress documents revealed that Turkey plans to re-export a large quantity of US-made weapons to Ukraine. The shipment reportedly includes 70 American ATACMS missiles and other military equipment.
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The delivery of such weapons “will seriously damage our bilateral relations with Washington and Ankara,” M. Zakharova told journalists.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sending weapons to Ukraine harms US and Turkey’s efforts to mediate the war between Kyiv and Moscow.
“Attempts to use peace-promoting rhetoric while simultaneously supplying weapons (to Ukraine) inevitably undermine mutual trust, especially considering repeated assurances from Turkish officials that Turkey avoids supplying ‘lethal’ weapons to Kyiv,” said M. Zakharova.
NATO member Turkey maintains a position as a potential peace mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war. The country maintains close economic and political ties with Moscow, but at the same time supplies weapons to Kyiv.
In 2022, Turkey helped implement the Black Sea Grain Initiative, aimed at the safe export of grain and fertilizers by sea from Ukraine. The country also hosted trilateral talks between the US, Ukraine, and Russia, although those talks did not end in a ceasefire or broader agreement.
US President Donald Trump began his second term promising to quickly end the war in Ukraine, but due to the war with Iran, his efforts to mediate a peace agreement stalled.
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Upon taking office, D. Trump drastically reduced US military support to Kyiv, advocating for a diplomatic solution and promoting his “America First” doctrine.
Under D. Trump’s leadership, Washington cut large-scale defense funding and US military aid to Ukraine, forcing Kyiv to rely on support from other partners to acquire key weapons systems.
According to Congress documents, Turkey seeks to get rid of older weapons systems as it transitions to new models.
Besides 70 M39 ATACMS missiles, the package intended for Ukraine includes 12 M270 multiple launch rocket systems, more than 2,000 artillery rockets with cluster munitions
and 47,000 howitzer rounds.
M. Zakharova warned that such weapons would cause “multifaceted damage” – both to targets in Russia and to Moscow’s trust in the US and Turkey.
She stated that the ministry has contacted Washington and Ankara, requesting “explanations” regarding the upcoming weapons delivery.
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“It is not too late to soberly assess the situation,” she warned.
