Military aid due to be sent from Western nations to Ukraine will only “prolong the suffering” of the country, Russia has warned.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed the West’s latest efforts in sending military aid to Ukraine, saying that the move will only “prolong the suffering” of the nation as it struggles to repel Russian forces.
The dismissal comes as France hands over an unknown number of AMX-10 RC armoured vehicles to the country, which have occasionally been described as “light tanks” by both French and Ukrainian officials.
Germany is considering handing over heavier tanks to Ukraine, though chronic infighting within the German political class means no decision has actually been made.
However, according to a report from the Russian state-owned TASS news agency, Peskov rejected any suggestion that such military aid will make a difference in the outcome of the current conflict, saying that the West is only extending the conflict by sending more weapons.
“Principally, these deliveries cannot and will not be able to change anything in Ukraine,” the Kremlin spokesman is reported as saying.
“These deliveries can add pain to the Ukrainian people and prolong its sufferings but principally they will be unable to solve anything [or] disrupt the process of achieving the goals of the special military operation,” he added, using the Kremlin’s preferred term for the invasion.
Peskov went on to say that there was no reason to address the French decision to hand over AMX-10 RCs as “Europe, the North Atlantic alliance and the United States of America have already pumped tens of billions of dollars into Ukraine through arms deliveries”.
Peskov’s comments that arms shipments ultimately do not matter stand in stark contrast with statements coming out of Ukraine, as well as some of its Western allies, with many officials suggesting that sending more powerful weapons to Ukraine will allow it to win the war.
Western powers have seemingly not yet figured out exactly what weapons can and cannot be sent to Ukraine for the purpose of fighting the Russians, however, with there seemingly being a particular aversion to handing over Western main battle tanks (MBTs).
For instance, despite being willing to send Ukraine missile systems and billions of dollars worth of other equipment, the United States has yet to send any of its M1 Abrams tanks, while Germany has also yet to pull the trigger on handing over any Leopard 2 tanks.
Even the French decision to hand over vehicles has come with a significant caveat, with the AMX-10 RCs set to be sent to Eastern Europe not being a true battle tank.
Although the AMX-10 RC does reportedly sport a 40 mm tank-like cannon on its top, the wheeled — not tracked — vehicle is substantially lighter than modern MBTs such as the M1 Abrams and Leopard 2.
Meanwhile, while the vehicle’s armour is said to be more than enough to shrug off small arms fire, it is not rated to stand up to fire from larger weapons, with the vehicle reportedly being designed chiefly for reconnaissance.
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