Moscow has
condemned the plans of Sarajevo to ship small arms ammunition to Ukraine,
warning that it would lead to "senseless" deaths. Two Bosnian
companies have already agreed on the sale worth millions of dollars.
Deutsche Welle, 29 Jan 2015
Russian
Foreign Ministry spokesmen Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday that the Kyiv
authorities would use the ammunition "to keep killing peaceful citizens,"
saying that Moscow was "bewildered" by such plans:
"Such
a step, especially in the current escalation on fighting in southeast Ukraine,
would not contribute to peaceful resolution in the area, and would lead to new,
senseless casualties among the civilian population."
The
companies Igman and Unis have agreed to deliver small arms ammunition to
Ukraine, with a price tag of 4.9 million euros ($5.6 million), Bosnian media
reported.
"These
deliveries are planned by a country that itself experienced all the horrors of
a fratricidal war from 1992 to 1995," Lukashevich said.
Bosnia's
foreign minister,ethnic Serb Boris Tucic, resigned in protest last week,
refusing to sign off on the weapons delivery.
According
to the local media, the shipment of rifle and pistol ammunition had been
approved by the foreign and the defense ministries before his resignation.
New
sanctions possible
The central
government of Bosnia is formed out representatives of the three largest ethnic
groups – Serbs, Muslims and Croats, who need to act together to pass a
decision. The Serbs living in Bosnia, just like the ones from Serbia, tend to
retain close ties with Russia.
Moscow is
often accused of supplying Ukraine's rebels with weapons, charges the Kremlin
denies.
The
European Union's foreign ministers met on Thursday to discuss the Ukraine
crisis and possible new sanctions against Russia.
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