Ukraine-Russia war: West should supply more arms to Ukraine- Official

Western countries should supply more arms and financial assistance to Ukraine instead of talking about tensions on the Ukraine-Russia border, Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Information Policy, Oleksandr Tkachenko said on Monday.

The European Union was not unanimous about the scope of military assistance to Kiev or potential sanctions against Russia in the event of escalation around Ukraine.

For example, Germany had been refusing to supply arms to Kiev.

"The west's stance sometimes reminds me of a person sitting in a vehicle, watching if the other person will soon be road killed.

"He waved his hand and says: when you are road killed, we will call for help.

"That's why, instead of talking, halt the Nord Stream, provide us with more arms from those countries who don't supply them, provide us with financial assistance in the form of monetary guarantees.

"We are surely thankful that arms supplies have begun,'' Tkachenko told Ukrainian 1+1 TV channel.

The minister added that Western media had "finally woken up'' and acknowledged that there was a war in Ukraine.

In the past few months, the West and Ukraine had accused Russia of a troop build-up near the Ukrainian border in alleged preparation for an "invasion.''

Moscow repeatedly said that it was not threatening anyone and at the same time, pointed to NATO's military activity near the Russian borders, which it deemed a threat to its national security.