A US Army Abrams Main Battle Tank being unloaded at Khandahar Air Base in Afghanistan

Late month U.S. State Department said he United States would provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities"

NEW DELHI: The U.S. decision to supply weapons to Ukraine can be termed as a move that could create new tensions in the region as it encourages the local government to use force in eastern part of the country. The decision could lead to further deterioration of ties between Moscow and Washington, feared experts who follow the region closely.

Late month U.S. State Department said he United States would provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities". The Russian foreign ministry has said the U.S. decision once again undermines the Minsk agreements. The agreements, intended to end the fighting in Ukraine, were signed by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in the Belarussian capital in early 2015. In fact, the US decision could derail peace process, according to experts.

According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov the United States has crossed a line when it announced its intention to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine. "Now the deliveries will not be carried out under US companies' business contracts, as it has been happening for a long time, but under state contracts. They will start with the Javelin missile systems. The question is: what will happen next? In any case, US weapons can lead to new victims in our neighbouring country, and we cannot remain indifferent," Ryabkov said in a recent statement.

"...the US is clearly pushing them to new bloodshed. Kiev's revanchists are already shelling Donbass every day, refusing to negotiate peacefully and dreaming of cracking down on the disobedient people by force. Now the United States decided to give them weapons for this. Unfortunately, it is a waste of time to urge American politicians to see reason. Many of them are so blinded by Russophobia that they are happily applauding the Ukrainian nationalist battalions," claimed Ryabkov who handles USA as part of his portfolio.

"History, of course, will inevitably put everything in its place. However, how can we talk about United States' reconciliatory role in resolving the conflict in Ukraine in the current situation? Washington is trying to present itself as an intermediary. But it is not an intermediary: it is an accomplice in fomenting a war," claimed the Minister.

According to another Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, "Supplies of any weapons would encourage those who support the conflict in Ukraine to use the "force scenario,". Franz Klintsevich, a member of the upper house of the Russian Parliament's security committee, said Kiev would consider arms supplies as support of its actions.

Russia may now take the issue of lethal weapon sales to Ukraine to the UN Security Council, according to Deputy Chairman of the State Duma's Defense Committee, Yuri Schvytkine.

Stephen Cohen, a professor emeritus of Russian studies at New York University and Princeton University, says the Trump administration's decision to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine was a "mistake.", accoridng to a report in Washington-based The Hill.

"Cohen, who has in the past voiced skepticism of allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, also criticized the breadth of ongoing investigations into Moscow's role in the 2016 presidential election. He said that indictments stemming from special counsel Robert Mueller investigation into Russian meddling in the election gave the appearance of Kremlin-linked wrongdoing, but in reality had nothing to do with Russia," according to The Hill report dated Dec 31.