US to supply Ukraine with lethal weapons to deter ‘aggression’

The US plans to provide Ukraine with lethal weapons and enhanced military capabilities amid rising tensions in the country’s east, which has been the scene of deadly fighting between Kiev’s troops and pro-Russia forces.

According to Press TV, the State Department said in a statement on Friday “The United States has decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression.”

“US assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself. The United States remains committed to the Minsk agreements as the way forward in eastern Ukraine,” it added, referring to the ceasefire deals signed in 2014 and 2015.

The statement did not specify the capabilities being considered for supply to Ukraine, but earlier in the day, US media reported that Washington had planned to approve the sale of anti-tank missiles to the Eastern European country, including the advanced Javelin system.

“The total defense package of $47 million includes the sale of 210 anti-tank missiles and 35 launchers. Additional supplies will need to be purchased,” an ABC News report said.

The reports came just days after the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the implementation of the peace accords in eastern Ukraine, reported a sharp rise in ceasefire violations there.

On Thursday, Russia also warned the US about the consequences of supplying arms to Ukraine, saying that the weapons would provoke “hotheads” among Ukrainian nationalists to seek to unleash new bloodshed in the country’s troubled east.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had also warned in September that any decision by his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to supply weapons to Kiev would fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has pits Kiev’s troops against pro-Moscow forces there.

The former US administration had refused to supply Kiev with lethal weaponry and, instead, provided Kiev with $600 million in military assistance, including training, equipment and advice.

ME