US Does not Want to Deliver Weapons to Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to stop the separation of Crimea. Today, he is meeting Russia’s Foreign Minister in London. The United States denies Kiev’s request for weapons.

Following a report from The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. has refused Kiev’s request to send military support to Ukraine. This will have the effect of reducing tensions with Russia. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Ukrainian government sent a request to Washington’s secretary of defense for weapons, ammunition, communication equipment, information from intelligence, fuel for planes, and night vision devices. However, according to the report, so as not to increase tensions with Russia, the U.S. government did not want to supply more than foodstuffs.

Republican Sen. John McCain regarded the report as being “really disturbing.” The U.S. should not submit victims of aggression to an arms embargo. It is now time to show solidarity toward the Ukrainian government.

Three days before the planned Crimea referendum, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in London to discuss the crisis in Ukraine. Previous discussions between these foreign ministers in Rome lead to no definite conclusions. Before his meeting with Lavrov, Kerry said, “Obviously, we have a lot to talk about.” The discussion would focus on “looking for possibilities to progress” and “to leave differences between us behind.” Lavrov said, “The situation is a difficult one.” A considerable amount of time was wasted.

On Sunday, we will witness a referendum on Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Western countries, including Germany, consider the referendum as being illegal and are threatening Moscow’s government with sanctions if it were to annex Crimea.

“Is this worth a nuclear war?”

Before the meeting in London, the White House had announced what strategy the U.S. would adopt against Russia. Kerry made a proposition to Lavrov, said the government’s spokesperson Jay Carney. The international community should accordingly recognize that Russia has legitimate interests and a marine base in Ukraine. A robust monitoring mission should ensure that interests of both Ukraine and Russia should be respected, said Carney. By taking this step, Washington is acting on Moscow’s reproach, that in the former Soviet state, ethnic Russians had been treated unfairly.

During a congressional hearing, Secretary of State Kerry had warned Foreign Minister Lavrov that a further escalation would have its price. Indeed, the U.S. is not ready to intervene militarily. “Do we believe a nuclear war is worth fighting over Crimea?” he reacted to a question from the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives. The U.S. would have a clear answer to this.

Yet, the U.S. is attempting to put economic pressure on Moscow by curbing Ukraine’s dependence on Russian gas. According to Kerry, the Department of Energy has already dispatched six licenses to enable the daily export of 240 million cubic meters. In the long term, one is prepared to reverse Ukraine’s dependence in the energy sector.

Russia Is Concentrating Troops

Ukraine‘s government signaled that Russian troops were moving toward its eastern borders. Amongst them are also armored vehicles. In Donetsk, a young man died in street fights that took place between pro-Western and pro-Russian demonstrators. According to local health authorities, another 15 were injured and sent to the hospital on Thursday. This was not confirmed officially from the start. This was the strongest eruption of violence since the coup d’etat in Kiev three weeks ago, since within a few days, approximately 100 people were killed. Donetsk is not too far from Russia’s border. Ukrainian government representatives reproach the government in Moscow for offering targeted support to pro-Russian groups.

Following a report in The New York Times, Russian troops, including armored vehicles, are being stationed in at least three of Ukraine’s bordering regions. Thus, troops are now stationed in Kursk, Rostov and Belgorod, all of which are located toward the east of Ukraine.

The International Monetary Fund, which wants to stabilize the financially crippled Ukraine, announced the extension of its mission in Kiev. IMF Chief Christine Lagarde informed Washington on Thursday that experts will stay in Kiev until Mar. 21. The country wants to avoid financial collapse with financial aid from international creditors.