Pentagon and State Department Said to Propose Arming Ukraine
The proposed transfer — which also would include antiaircraft arms
that would be defined as defensive weaponry — comes as fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists has increased in recent days, and the United States is taking steps to deter aggressive military actions by Moscow.
Fearing that the provision of defensive weapons might tempt President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to raise the stakes, the Obama administration
limited American aid to "nonlethal" items, including body armor, night-vision goggles, first aid kits and engineering equipment.
Two years ago, eight former senior American officials urged the Obama administration to send $3 billion in defensive arms and equipment to Ukraine, including anti-armor missiles, reconnaissance drones, armored Humvees and radars
that can determine the location of enemy rocket and artillery fire.
Evelyn Farkas said that They are making the same proposal to the White House as we did,
but taking the opportunity posed by Russia’s retaliation and, unfortunately, I suspect, some movement on the ground in Ukraine,
1, 2017
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon and State Department have proposed to the White House a plan to supply Ukraine with anti-tank missiles
and other arms, according to Defense Department officials.
Under the new proposal, which was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, the administration would provide anti-tank
weapons, most likely Javelin missiles, as well as possibly antiaircraft weapons, in addition to other arms.
