More US arms to Ukraine will aggravate war, Kremlin warns

The Kremlin said increasing the supply of US arms to Ukraine will aggravate the devastating 10-month war ignited by Russia’s illegal invasion and “does not bode well” for the neighbouring country – where President Vladimir Putin vowed Russia will achieve its goals.

Speaking during a meeting with his top military brass, Mr Putin said Moscow will use the combat experience to enhance its armed forces.

He told military leaders to analyse the Western weapons used by Ukraine to “develop our armed forces and strengthen the capability of our troops”.

He said the country’s military should learn lessons and modernise based on its experiences in Ukraine and special emphasis will go to developing his country’s nuclear forces, which he described as “the main guarantee of Russia’s sovereignty”.

In a speech at the same meeting, defence minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia’s military must expand from its current size of one million personnel to 1.5 million, a number that should include 695,000 volunteer contract soldiers.

He also said Russia will form new units in the country’s west in view of plans by Finland and Sweden to join Nato.

Earlier, in a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the expansion of Western weapon supplies to Ukraine “leads to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine”.

Mr Peskov’s comments were the first official Russian reaction to news that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was heading to Washington for a summit with US President Joe Biden.

The trip is Mr Zelensky’s first known foreign trip since Russia’s February 24 invasion triggered a war that has killed thousands and laid waste to towns and cities across Ukraine.

The White House announced more military aid for Ukraine just hours before Mr Zelensky arrived in the US.

The massive 1.8 billion dollar package includes for the first time a Patriot missile battery and precision guided bombs for fighter jets, US officials said.

Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta Centre independent think tank, said Mr Zelensky’s visit could help map out future strategy.

“This is indeed a very significant and symbolic visit, which should determine the course of the war. Zelensky for the first time dared to leave Ukraine and is counting on being able to maintain, and possibly even strengthen, US military and economic assistance to Ukraine,” Mr Fesenko told the Associated Press.

In Moscow, Mr Peskov also confirmed media reports that Mr Putin will not deliver his annual state-of-the-nation address this year. He would not comment on the reason for postponing the address until next year, saying only it has to do with Mr Putin’s “work schedule”.

Some Russian media have linked the decision to a war in which Russia long lost its momentum. Earlier this year, the Kremlin also cancelled Mr Putin’s yearly press conference, which has taken place every December since 2012.

As Mr Zelensky travelled to Washington, Moscow also was involved in high-level diplomacy. The deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, met on Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr Medvedev, a former Russian president, said in a video statement that he and Mr Xi discussed an array of topics, including “the conflict in Ukraine”.

China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticised sanctions against Moscow. Beijing has only referred to the invasion as the “Ukraine situation” in deference to Moscow and accused the US and Nato of provoking Mr Putin by expanding into eastern Europe.

In Ukraine, Russian forces pounded populated areas with more missiles and artillery on Wednesday. They shelled areas around the city of Nikopol in Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, its governor, Valentyn Reznichenko, said on Telegram on Wednesday morning.

Nikopol is located across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. Russian forces currently occupy the plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian president’s office said Russian attacks killed five civilians and wounded 17 the day before. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia unleashed five missiles and 16 airstrikes on Ukrainian territory and 61 attacks from multiple-launch rocket systems.

General Staff spokesperson Oleksandr Shtupun said Ukrainian forces repelled attacks around more than 25 populated areas in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, with the cities of Bakhmut and Avdiivka continuing to be key targets of Russia’s grinding offensive.

Mr Zelensky’s trip to the US comes a day after he made a daring and dangerous visit to the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s contested Donetsk province, which he called the hottest spot on the 800-mile front line.

Capturing Bakhmut would sever Ukraine’s supply lines and open a route for Russian forces to press on toward cities that are key Ukrainian strongholds in the Donetsk province.

In a video released by his office from the Bakhmut visit, Mr Zelensky was handed a Ukrainian flag signed by soldiers and alluded to delivering it to US leaders.

“We are not in an easy situation. The enemy is increasing its army. Our people are braver and need more powerful weapons,” the Ukrainian leader said. “We will pass it on from the boys to the Congress, to the president of the United States. We are grateful for their support, but it is not enough. It is a hint — it is not enough.”