US official plays down prospect of arming Ukraine

[unhappycamper]

http://www.dw.de/us-official-plays-down-prospect-of-arming-ukraine/a-18231220

After reports that the United States was planning to send weaponry to Ukraine's military, a White House advisor has played down the prospect - albeit without dismissing it entirely.

US official plays down prospect of arming Ukraine
03.02.2015

The US government played down media reports that it was considering sending reconsidered weapons to Ukraine, with a top security adviser saying that more weapons were not likely to defuse the conflict.

In an interview with CNN, White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said that sanctions were the best way of applying pressure on Russia. "We don't think the answer to the crisis in Ukraine is simply to inject more weapons and engage in tit-for-tat," he said.

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki also emphasized that the US was not immediately looking for a military solution: "I don't think anybody wants to get into a proxy war with Russia," she said, saying that the objective was "to change the behavior of Russia. That's the reason we have put the sanctions in place."

Washington already supplies "non-lethal" military aid to Kyiv, including counter-mortar detection units, body armor, binoculars, small boats and other gear, but the US government has delayed a decision on providing arms - from rifles to anti-tank weapons - in the hope of a diplomatic solution between Ukraine and the pro-Russian rebels.