Russia warns possible arms supplies to disturb peace progress in Ukraine

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Any discussion or plan of possible arms supplies to Ukraine would disturb the peaceful settlement progress in Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov said Friday.

"The international community should not further disturb the situation in Ukraine, but foster a peaceful settlement, a constitutional reform and a dialogue between Kiev and insurgents in eastern Ukraine," according to Meshkov.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law a bill named the Ukraine Freedom Support Act aiming for tougher sanctions on Russia, but ruled out additional sanctions against Russia under the law at the moment.

The legislation also allows Obama to provide military assistance worth 350 million U.S. dollars to Ukraine, with anti- tank and anti-armor weapons on the list.

Meanwhile, Frants Klintsevich, vice-chairman of Defense Committee of the State Duma, or the lower house of parliament, said that the assurance of no fresh sanctions by Obama did not change the "aggressive nature" of the Ukraine Freedom Act.

"Obama has crossed the Rubicon...Anyway, they cannot break Russia. We will continue to defend our interests," Interfax news agency quoted Klintsevich as saying.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in a telephone conversation on Thursday that " normal joint activities would be undermined for a long time" because of the Ukraine Freedom Support Act.

There are worries that although a new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia might not have a direct impact, they could increase Russia's sense of panic and ratchet up pressure on the country's embattled economy.

Russia's currency ruble has lost nearly 50 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar and euro since March, despite several currency interventions of the Central Bank. Endite

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