WASHINGTON, August 26 (RIA Novosti) – Another humanitarian convoy sent to Ukraine from Russia without Kiev’s consent will only escalate the situation, Jen Psaki, a spokesperson for the US Department of State said.
“We are certainly concerned about Russian plans for a second aid convoy. Any new missions without the explicit permission of Ukraine would be another provocative measure that would only escalate the situation President Putin claims he wants to resolve. You cannot say one thing and do another, and expect the international community to believe that there is legitimate or credible intention behind your words,” Psaki told journalists on Monday.
She noted that in the statement put out last week about the first convoy they expressed the plans for consequences.
“And obviously those discussions continue to be ongoing,” Psaki added.
Earlier on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Moscow was weighing sending another humanitarian convoy to troubled Ukrainian regions. According to the diplomat, Moscow has already sent an official diplomatic note to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, notifying it of the plans to prepare another mission.
Following a considerable delay, Russia’s convoy of 280 trucks carrying about 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid, finally crossed the Ukrainian border and reached Luhansk, currently on the verge of a humanitarian disaster, on August 22.
Chief of the Ukrainian Security Service Valentyn Nalyvaichenko lashed out at Moscow, accusing it of a “direct invasion” into Ukraine and US Vice President Joe Biden called Russia’s humanitarian aid delivery a “blatant provocation and disregard of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
Moscow stated that the mission had been fully transparent and agreed upon with the Ukrainian leadership and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
