INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russia has formally complained to the United States over its military aid to Ukraine, warning of "unpredictable consequences" if shipments
of advanced weaponry go forward, United States media reported.In a diplomatic note this week, Moscow warned the United States and NATO
against sending the "most sensitive" weapons for Kyiv to use in the conflict with Russia, saying such shipments were "adding fuel" to the
situation and could come with "unpredictable consequences," the Washington Post reported.The warning came the same week that United States
President Joe Biden pledged a new $800 million military aid package for Ukraine, including helicopters, howitzers and armored personnel
assistance that we've been providing our Ukrainian partners is proving extraordinarily effective," the Post quoted a senior administration
note."We won't confirm any private diplomatic correspondence," a State Department spokesperson said."What we can confirm is that, along with
allies and partners, we are providing Ukraine with billions of dollars' worth of security assistance, which our Ukrainian partners are using
York Times citing United States officials, the note was sent through normal channels, and was not signed by any senior Russian
officials.The formal correspondence indicates Russia is concerned about the United States' ongoing material support for Ukraine, an
told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky of the new weapons aid package over the phone Wednesday, as Russia refocused its efforts
eastward, the new frontline of the seven-week-old war."As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the Donbas region, the United States
will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself," Biden said."This new package of assistance will contain many of
the highly effective weapons systems we have already provided and new capabilities tailored to the wider assault we expect Russia to launch
in eastern Ukraine."Zelensky for his part tweeted that he and Biden had discussed the "additional package of defensive and possible
macro-financial aid."The new assistance included some of the heavier equipment that Washington had previously refused to provide to Kyiv for
fear of escalating the conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, and comes after previous weapons aid already supplied to the Ukrainian army.
