EU Should Dissuade US From Arms Supplies to Ukraine - Lawmaker

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Instead of putting pressure on Russia, the European Union should call on the United States not to supply arms to Ukraine, head of the Russian lower house of parliament's foreign affairs committee said via Twitter Saturday.

"In order to preserve the fragile truce in Ukraine, the European Union should not put pressure on Moscow, instead it should urge the United States not to send weapons there," Alexei Pushkov wrote on his Twitter page.

Since the beginning of an armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, Washington and its European allies have consistently been backing Kiev authorities. They have even been providing them with non-lethal military assistance and economic aid. Ukrainian leaders have also asked their Western partners for lethal arms supplies.

Last December, US Congress passed a $350-million package to supply Kiev with weapons, military equipment and provide training to its military in the three coming years. However, the bill has not been enacted by US President Barack Obama yet.

While talks on the delivery of lethal weapons to Ukrainians are still underway in the United States, a number of European countries, including Germany and France refused to supply Kiev with weaponry.