US on Road to 'Destructive War With Russia', Warns Former Pentagon Official

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Russian Foreign Ministry's diplomatic message to the US Ambassador in Moscow serves notice that unless the Biden administration changes course rapidly, it is leading the US into an unnecessary and destructive war with Russia, former senior Pentagon official and retired US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor told Sputnik.

"Without a change in our approach we are on the road to an unnecessary and destructive war with Russia," Macgregor, who commanded US armored forces in the Battle of 73 Easting against the Iraqi military in the first Gulf War in 1991, said on Tuesday.

Macgregor's comments followed President Vladimir Putin's announcement earlier on Tuesday that Russia was pulling out of its ongoing talks with the United States on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). It is the first time since 1972 that there has either been no such treaty in place or negotiations in progress to achieve one.

Also on Tuesday, US Ambassador to Moscow Lynne Tracy was told that the United States should withdraw all of its military and equipment from the territory of Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"It was particularly noted that in order to de-escalate the situation, Washington should take steps involving the withdrawal of US and NATO military and equipment, as well as the cessation of hostile anti-Russian activities," the official statement read.

The Russian Foreign Ministry underscored that all weapons supplied to Kiev, as well as personnel, including US citizens, are a legitimate target for Russian strikes.

Macgregor said this message sent an even more important warning to the US government than Putin's announcement that Russia was pulling out of the New START talks, suspending all such talks for the first time in more than half a century.

"Walking away from START is unfortunate, but the statement to the ambassador is far more important," Macgregor said.

The Russian pullout from the New START talks came a day after US President Joe Biden paid a surprise visit to Kiev and announced another US aid package worth $500 million to Ukraine.

Biden gave a speech in Warsaw, Poland - a staunch US ally - claiming Russia would never win in Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also said that the US Ambassador in Moscow "was told that the current aggressive course of the United States to deepen confrontation with Russia in all areas is counterproductive."

The decision to suspend the New START treaty can be reversible, but for this the United States must show political will and make efforts to de-escalate, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The ambassador was reminded that the weapons supplied to Ukraine and their maintenance personnel, including American military personnel, are a legitimate target for strikes by Russian troops. The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that the United States take measures aimed at withdrawing US and NATO troops from the territory of Ukraine, Western military equipment and stop activities hostile to Russia," the statement said.

The presidential bill to suspend Russia's participation in the New START has been submitted to the State Duma, the Russian parliament's lower house speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin told reporters.

The State Duma will consider the bill on Wednesday and then it will be submitted to the parliament's upper house, the Federation Council, Volodin added.