Russia Expresses Concern Over Ecuador's Plan to Transfer Russian Military Equipment to the U.S.

The Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) has raised concerns over Ecuador's recent announcement of a military cooperation agreement with the United States, citing potential violations of an existing agreement with Russia.

On January 17, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa disclosed plans for an agreement with the United States, outlining the transfer of armament and materiel of Soviet and Russian origin to Washington, valued at a total cost of $200 million.

In response, the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation emphasized that the current military cooperation agreement between Russia and Ecuador strictly prohibits the transfer of military products to a third party without prior written consent from Russia.

"We take note of reports about intentions of leaders of the Republic of Ecuador to implement the transfer of armament and materiel of Russian production to the US without receiving a relevant authorization of the Russian Federation," stated the Service. "We would like to stress that in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Ecuador on Military Technical Cooperation of November 27, 2008, the transfer of military products received as a result of bilateral military-technical cooperation to a third party is unacceptable without a prior written consent of the Russian Federation."

The Service also highlighted that similar requirements are outlined in existing supply contracts between the two nations.

This development raises questions about the potential diplomatic ramifications and legal implications of Ecuador's decision, as it appears to be in violation of the established agreements between the two countries. The Russian government has not yet indicated how it will respond to this unexpected turn of events. Observers will be closely monitoring the situation for further developments in the coming days.