UKRAINE
The United States has announced that it will provide an additional $75 million in non-lethal aid to Ukraine’s military forces. The Obama administration also revealed it will impose sanctions on several pro-Russian separatists and other individuals who were involved in the promotion of civil war in eastern Ukraine. IN PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) approaches to shake hands with his French counterpart Francois Hollande during a meeting at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, December 6, 2014. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev

A leading Russian MP and close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the European Parliament of an “all-out war” scenario of the United States decides to supply weapons to the Ukrainian government. U.S. President Barack Obama had previously announced that Washington was considering the option of sending lethal weapons to help Kiev.

Alexel Pushkov spoke about the dire consequences before the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee. He gave the warning after Mr Obama said the U.S. was not ruling out sending weapons to Ukraine if diplomacy did not succeed.

The Russian MP, who is included in the U.S. sanctions blacklist, told members of the committee that U.S. weapons in the hands of Kiev could “expand the war” and become a real threat to the entire security of Europe, reports TASS. Pushkov is not on the EU’s list of Russian officials who are subject to a visa ban and assets freeze, which are part of the sanctions against Russia after the annexation of Crimea.

Pushkov told European Parliament TV that the option of sending weapons was the first sign of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War in the 1960s. He recalled that the U.S. first sent weapons then military advisers and troops to fight the Vietnamese. Mr Putin’s ally warned of the U.S. taking an “extremely dangerous path.” Pushkov claimed there were many people in the U.S. who want a fight including Senator John McCain whom he described as “trigger-happy.”

Pushkov believe both sides of the conflict in eastern Ukraine had breached the ceasefire agreement signed in Minsk last Sept 2014. Another warning came from Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson of Mr Putin who recently declared that the potential plan of arming Ukraine could destabilise the situation, reports BBC.

Mr Obama said earlier in the week that he would wait for the outcome of the peace negotiations in Minsk before considering further measures. Leaders from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany will attempt to revive the collapsed ceasefire agreement in the capital of Belarus.

Meanwhile, the head of Kremlin’s security council also reacted to the possibility of the U.S. sending weapons to Ukraine, reports the Financial Times. He said the U.S. is trying to draw the Russian Federation into an “interstate military conflict.” Nikolai Patrushev warned that the conflict in Ukraine would only escalate if Washington will proceed with its plans to arm Kiev.

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