The U.S. House of Representatives introduced new legislation Tuesday to provide lethal aid worth $1 billion to Ukraine amid constant pressure from Congress on President Barack Obama to help Kyiv defend itself against Russian-backed militants.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, and Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. — members of the House Armed Services Committee — calls for training equipment, lethal weapons and logistics support for the military and national security forces of Ukraine through Sept. 30, 2017, to help that country protect “its sovereign territory against foreign aggressors,” The Associated Press (AP) reported.
“It seems Russia has decided to go back to the Cold War,” Congressman Adam Smith told reporters. In his words, the introduction of economic sanctions has not changed Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s plans.
U.S. President Barack Obama has recently said that his administration is looking at all options in handling the crisis in Ukraine, but he has not yet decided whether the US will provide lethal arms to Kyiv. He still counts on a diplomatic solution of the conflict, he told Vladimir Putin by the phone.
“It is true that if, in fact, diplomacy fails, what I’ve asked my team to do is to look at all options. What other means can we put in place to change (Russian President) Mr (Vladimir) Putin’s calculus? The possibility of lethal defensive weapons is one of those options that’s being examined,” Obama said at a White House news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday. “But I have not made a decision about that yet.”
Acording to The Wall Street Journal, Merkel gave Russian President Vladimir Putin time until Wednesday to agree to a road map to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine, otherwise Germany won’t oppose the U.S. plan if Barack Obama opts to send weapons to Ukraine.
