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Ukraine, US discussing delivery of 'non-lethal aid’ to Kiev

Thursday, 05 March 2015 9:06 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 05 March 2015 9:06 AM ]

Ukrainian servicemen take part in military exercises near the eastern Ukrainian city of Schastya, in the Lugansk region, March 3, 2015. (© AFP)

Ukraine and the United States are discussing the details of the potential provision of “non-lethal” arms to Kiev, a senior Ukrainian official says.

First Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Andriy Parubiy said in a Wednesday TV interview that during his recent visit to the US, he presented Ukrainian security services’ list of required lethal and non-lethal weapons, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported on Thursday.

“We were able to hold technical discussions on non-lethal weapons. They include radars to detect an adversary’s firing positions, drones, secure radio communication systems, as well as measures to repair some of our equipment,” he said, adding, “I can say that this issue has almost been decided.”

The Ukrainian official pointed out that the US ambassador to Ukraine has already announced the allocation of USD 120 million for the program.

“Today, we are holding technical negotiations concerning the types of non-lethal weapons that will be supplied to Ukraine in the near future,” Parubiy said.

The comments came a day after the US’s top military officer, General Martin Dempsey, said Washington should consider providing lethal arms to Ukraine to help battle pro-Russia forces.

“I think we should absolutely consider lethal aid and it ought to be in the context of NATO allies because [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s ultimate objective is to fracture NATO,” the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The general’s remarks echo comments made in recent months by several top American officials, including the Pentagon chief, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

Washington accuses Moscow of arming and supporting the pro-Russia forces fighting in Ukraine. The Kremlin, however, calls the accusations “groundless” and says the NATO, particularly the US, are behind the flare-up in east Ukraine.

The two mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in the eastern Ukraine have been hit by deadly clashes between the pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations in April last year to crush pro-Russia protests there.

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