Report shows US reconsidering Ukraine arms
NATO and the US appear to be considering sending defensive weapons to forces fighting pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, according to The New York Times.
Though President Barack Obama has not yet decided whether to dispatch ‘lethal assistance’, his administration is reviewing the issue after a surge in fighting between Kyiv and Kremlin-backed rebels, the paper says.
NATO’s military commander General Philip Breedlove now supports providing defensive weapons and Secretary of State John Kerry is open to fresh talks on the subject, it says.
The United States has accused Russia of conducting a proxy war in Ukraine but has so far ruled out arms deliveries to Kyiv.
The White House has instead limited US assistance to ‘non-lethal’ aid that includes body armour, medical equipment and radar to detect mortar fire.
‘Although our focus remains on pursuing a solution through diplomatic means, we are always evaluating other options that will help create space for a negotiated solution,’ National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan told the Times.
Russia stands broadly accused of supporting the separatist movement, so the supply of lethal aid to pro-Kyiv forces could raise the stakes in the conflict.
General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, is open to new discussions about lethal aid, as is Obama’s security adviser Susan Rice, the Times said.
‘A comprehensive approach is warranted, and we agree defensive equipment and weapons should be part of that discussion,’ a Pentagon official told the paper.
An independent report to be formally issued on Monday will urge the US to send $US3 billion ($A3.87 billion) in defensive arms and equipment, including reconnaissance drones and anti-armour missiles.