Russia demands compensation from US for aiding Ukraine in war

Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, has demanded that the U.S. pay reparations for its role in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Antonov claimed that the Biden administration is responsible for the conflict, citing the U.S.’s deliberate efforts to create a hotbed of tensions at our borders and its support for the anti-constitutional coup in Ukraine in 2014. He also accused the U.S. of fomenting conflict by providing Ukraine with weapons and suppressing peaceful initiatives. Antonov made the remarks in response to comments by Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, where Blinken pledged an additional $1.3 billion in U.S. aid to Ukraine, including more than $500 million to modernize energy infrastructure that has been targeted by Russian strikes. The U.S. has provided approximately $63 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the start of the conflict. In December, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that countries providing Ukraine with military assistance could be considered legitimate military targets.