By Biodun Busari

Russia has criticised the United States for fighting an “indirect war” against it over the supplies of Patriot missile systems to Ukraine following President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to meet US President Joe Biden and the Congress.

Zelensky visited Washington on Thursday in the first trip out of Ukraine since the Russian invasion where the US pledged an additional $1.85 billion with trainings and other munitions, Reuters said.

The US also promised to send its most advanced and highly sought-after air defence weapon, the Patriot missile system to Ukraine to block Russia’s air attacks.

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Reacting to the military aid, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there has been no signs of readiness for peace talks during Zelensky’s visit.

He also said that the meeting was evidence that the US was fighting a proxy war with Russia “to the last Ukrainian”, adding that both Zelensky and Biden did not want to hear “Russia’s concerns.”

“We can say with regret that so far neither President Biden nor President Zelensky have said even a few words that could be perceived as potential readiness to listen to Russia’s concerns,” said Peskov.

“Not a single word was heard warning Zelensky against the continued shelling of residential buildings in towns and villages in Donbas and there were no real calls for peace.”

“This suggests that the United States is continuing its line of de facto fighting an indirect war with Russia to the last Ukrainian,” he added.

Hours before Zelensky’s visit, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow would next year continue developing its military potential and the combat readiness of its nuclear forces.