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, U.S
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 U.S
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
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 anonymous U.S
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.
