BUDAPEST (Sputnik) — The West is already supplying weaponry to Kiev, Russian President Vladimir Putin said when asked about Russia's possible reaction to arms deliveries discussed by the West.
The Russian President mentioned, however, that there is nonetheless a significant reduction in military activity in southeastern Ukraine (Donbas), where Kiev forces have been fighting against independence supporters since last spring.
"Regarding the hostilities [in Donbas], we [Russia] generally mark a significant, and I want to stress that, reduction of military activity there," Putin said.
The Russian President added that the sooner the suspension of hostilities and withdrawal of artillery is implemented in Donbas, the sooner the Ukrainian conflict will be settled.
Last week, a ceasefire agreement was reached between Ukraine's conflicting sides following 16-hour talks between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France in Minsk. The previous ceasefire agreement, signed by the Contact Group on Ukraine in the Belarusian capital in September, 2014, failed to hold.
Meanwhile, a number of European countries, including Germany, have rejected lethal aid to Ukraine saying that an influx of weapons into the conflict-torn country would not help solve the ongoing crisis, which has claimed the lives of over 5,600 people, according to the latest UN estimates.
France, Italy, Spain and Finland have all rejected providing Ukraine with lethal assistance. Russia has warned that arms deliveries to Kiev that the US Congress has been calling for could lead to a sharp increase in violence in Donbas, where fighting intensified at the start of 2015.
