US: Arming Kiev Not The Answer to Ukraine Crisis

Local Editor

US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes indicated that supplying more arms to the Ukrainian government would not solve the crisis in the country. According to Rhodes, implementing more sanctions against Russia is the amicable solution.

Responding to the comments by US senior administration officials, saying that Washington was looking into providing Kiev with more weapons, Rhodes stated: "We don't think the answer to the crisis in Ukraine is simply to inject more weapons."

Instead, "the best way" lies through imposing more economic sanctions on Russia, the White House official said, blaming the events in the country on "Russia's calculus."

At the same time, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said during a Monday briefing that Washington was "continually assessing" various ways to offset Russia when it came to the Ukrainian crisis.

"The president's view continues to be that this administration needs to be continually assessing what our strategy should be," Earnest said, adding that "wide variety of opinions" were being looked at.

US was mulling ways in which it could give additional funds to Kiev, the spokesman said. "The scope of our financial assistance to Ukrainian authorities could increase significantly due to the unstable situation in the country provoked by Russia. We could and must do more to provide financial assistance to Ukraine," Earnest said.
He also revealed that Russia and Ukraine would be on the agenda for the German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Washington next week. "The two leaders will discuss a range of issues including Ukraine, Russia, counterterrorism, ISIL, Afghanistan, and Iran."

The White House spokesman also stressed that there was no military solution to the Ukrainian conflict. "With regard to the provision of military assistance to Ukraine, the president [Barack Obama] does not want to do this for the reason that the problem cannot be used by military means. This conflict must be resolved by diplomatic means," Earnest said during a press conference.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration might reconsider its position and send "defensive" weapons to Kiev forces, citing Gen. Philip M. Breedlove as one of the advocates of the move.

The spokesman, Capt. Gregory L. Hicks of the Navy reported, "General Breedlove has repeatedly stated that he supports the pursuit of a diplomatic solution as well as considering practical means of support to the government of Ukraine in its struggle against Russian-backed separatists".

Backing the idea of arming Kiev forces, a new independent report by eight former senior American officials urged Washington to approve for the next three years a $3 billion budget to provide defensive arms and equipment, including anti-armor missiles, drones, armored vehicles, and radars.

"The West needs to bolster deterrence in Ukraine by raising the risks and costs to Russia of any renewed major offensive," the report says. "That requires providing direct military assistance - in far larger amounts than provided to date and including lethal defensive arms."

The Ukraine Freedom Support Act, passed unanimously in December, authorized the US president to provide lethal and non-lethal military aid to Ukraine - including anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and troop-operated surveillance drones.

According to the Pentagon, US President Barack Obama asked the new Republican-dominated Congress for a base defense budget of $534 billion in 2016. The proposed budget also set aside $117 million to ‘offset Russian pressure,' but did not mention any military aid to Ukraine.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team