Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated today, Friday, that any "normal person" would be angered by images of "bloodied children" in Gaza, but Russia must "maintain its composure." He stated that "some Western weapons destined for Ukraine are reaching the Middle East through the illegal arms market and are being sold to the Taliban." Putin said, "They are now saying that weapons are reaching the Middle East via Ukraine. Yes, of course, that is happening because they are being sold; weapons are sold to the Taliban and from there they travel anywhere else."
Since Russia sent troops into Ukraine on February 24 of last year, Western authorities have sent weapons worth tens of billions of dollars to Ukraine in an effort to defeat Russian forces. Ukraine claims to impose strict oversight on any incoming weapons, but some Western security officials have raised concerns and the United States has asked Ukraine to take additional steps to address corruption issues. US military support includes 160 155mm howitzers, 109 Bradley fighting vehicles, over 111 million rounds of small arms ammunition, and 38 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
