OREANDA-NEWS  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in the program "The Big Game" on Channel One, said that the United States would not send specialists to Ukraine along with Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs), since Washington does not intend to directly fight against Russia. 

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the official refusal became known after a request through diplomatic channels. The agency asked whether the decision to transfer the complexes to Kiev also means sending American military personnel, since the SAMs are difficult to use.

The United States explained that Patriot will be put into effect gradually, as representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are trained to use them, Lavrov added.

On December 22, US President Joe Biden announced that Washington would supply Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems to Kiev. In addition, the American leader promised to train the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the unmistakable use of air defense systems.

The newspaper Politico, citing a Pentagon representative, wrote that the United States would not hand over the anti-aircraft missile system until the Ukrainian military had been trained. It was noted that the system, which includes several auxiliary vehicles with control stations, radars and generators, most likely will not appear on the battlefield for many months.