By As thousands of Russian troops, aircraft and armor carried out massive war games across the border, Ukraine’s President has asked the US to supply advanced offensive weapons to defend itself against the barbaric aggressive plans of the Kremlin, the Independent Post has reported.
Against this background, Petro Poroshenko had claimed that the military exercise, Zapad-2017, taking place in Belarus was really “a smokescreen to create new Russian army assault groups to invade Ukrainian territory”. According to him, the reality was that “with Moscow, one should always be prepared”, a lesson hard learned with the loss of Crimea and the civil war which had seen the east of the country effectively secede.
The Independent Post disclosed that the newly appointed US special representative for Ukraine stated that Washington is actively considering sending heavy weaponry to the Kiev government.
Kurt Volker confirmed in his comment on the development that “defensive weapons would allow Ukraine to defend itself, and to take out tanks for example, would actually help. This is a matter for further discussion and decision: but I think that the argument that this would be provocative to Russia or emboldening of Ukraine is just getting it backwards.”
More so, the sending of the arms, according to the report would be a ratcheting up of America’s commitment to Ukraine in the country’s bitter confrontation with Russia. However, the prospect comes, ironically, during the administration of Donald Trump, who is under investigation for his alleged illicit links to Moscow, and someone who had said during the presidential election campaign that he would be prepared to accept the annexation of Crimea and suggested the possible lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia over Ukraine.
“Sanctions against Russia must be in force until full implementation of Minsk agreements [ceasefire deal] and restoring the sovereignty of Ukraine over Crimea and Donbas,” Trump said. “I would like to thank the United States for its leadership in strengthening sanctions against the aggressor. The price for aggression must keep rising. It must be unbearably hard to keep what was unlawfully taken, or, more bluntly, cynically stolen,” he added.
Correspondent: Ridwan A. Olayiwola