US and Türkiye opening ‘Pandora’s box’ with Ukraine arms deal – Moscow

Washington is reportedly preparing to authorize the transfer of 70 ATACMS missiles and other weapons worth around $280 million

The planned transfer of US-made missiles and other weapons from Türkiye to Ukraine will “inevitably undermine mutual trust” with both Washington and Ankara, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned.

The US State Department notified Congress earlier this month that it was prepared to authorize the re-export of weapons from Turkish stocks to Ukraine. The package reportedly includes 70 M39 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles, 12 M270 multiple-launch rocket systems, more than 2,500 M26 rockets with cluster warheads, and 47,000 203mm cluster artillery shells.

The total value of the proposed transfers is estimated at around $280 million.

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“Attempts to use peacemaking rhetoric while simultaneously supplying weapons to Ukrainian Nazis inevitably undermine mutual trust,” Zakharova said, noting that Turkish officials had repeatedly maintained that Ankara was avoiding deliveries of “lethal” weapons to Kiev.

The circumstances surrounding the planned transfer remain “extremely contradictory,” according to the spokeswoman, who said it was unclear who had initiated the re-export or how and when the munitions would reach Ukraine.

Zakharova also questioned why Washington and Ankara had decided to open another “Pandora’s box” while both countries claim a special role in efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

“The issue is not only the casualties and destruction that the authorities in Kiev seek to increase, but also the serious damage to our bilateral relations with Washington and Ankara,” she said.

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Because the weapons were manufactured in the US, their re-export from Turkish stocks requires authorization from Washington. The State Department submitted the relevant documents to Congress on August 6.

Under US law, Congress has 15 calendar days to review the proposed transfer. No separate approval vote is required; unless both chambers adopt a joint resolution blocking it, the administration’s authorization automatically takes effect.

Moscow has repeatedly condemned Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine, arguing that they prolong the hostilities and make the US and other NATO countries direct participants in the conflict.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last month that Western weapons supplies, military advisers, and satellite intelligence provided to Kiev amounted to “direct participation” in the war against Russia.

Russian officials have also repeatedly accused Kiev of using Western-supplied long-range weapons against civilian targets. Moscow has specifically pointed to a June 2024 ATACMS strike on Sevastopol, in which Russian authorities said four people, including two children, were killed and more than 150 injured. The Kremlin said at the time that the sophistication of the US-made missiles meant Washington was directly involved in their targeting and operation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has similarly claimed that NATO military specialists provide Kiev with intelligence and help coordinate precision strikes, including attacks that have hit homes, energy facilities, schools, and hospitals.