READ MORE: US mulls providing Kiev forces with ‘defensive’ weapons – report
Responding to the comments made earlier in the day by US senior administration officials, saying that Washington is 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.” He made the comments in an interview with CNN on Monday.
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 is “continually assessing” various ways to offset Russia when it comes 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” are being looked at.
READ MORE: Obama openly admits 'brokering power transition' in Ukraine
US is mulling ways in which it can 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 can and must do more to provide financial assistance to Ukraine,” Earnest said.
He also revealed that Russia and Ukraine will 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 [the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria], Afghanistan, and Iran.”
Last week, the White House spokesman also stressed that there is 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 New York Times reported that the Obama administration may reconsider its position and send “defensive” weapons to Kiev forces, citing Gen. Philip M. Breedlove as one of the advocates of the move.
“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,” the spokesman, Capt. Gregory L. Hicks of the Navy, told the NYT.
READ MORE: Potential conscripts evade draft, flee country amid escalation in E. Ukraine
Backing the idea of arming Kiev forces, a new independent report by eight former senior American officials urges 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, authorizes the US president to provide lethal and non-lethal military aid to Ukraine – including anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and troop-operated surveillance drones.
US President Barack Obama is asking the new Republican-dominated Congress for a base defense budget of $534 billion in 2016, according to the Pentagon. The proposed budget also sets aside $117 million to ‘offset Russian pressure,’ but does not mention any military aid to Ukraine.
No comments :
Post a Comment