US Senate Pushes for Providing Lethal Aid to Ukraine – Reports

The Senate in the United States included provisions in the bill on the country’s military policy to provide lethal aid to Ukraine, The New York Times reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The newspaper reported Thursday that the provisions supported by the Senate envisaged giving Ukraine antiarmor systems, mortars, grenade launchers and ammunition.

The bill authorizes the weapon supply to Ukraine, but does not force the US administration to do so.

Ukraine’s leadership has asked Western states for lethal weaponry to help fight independence supporters in the country's east, where Kiev launched a military operation in April 2014.

A number of European countries, including France, Germany, Norway and Denmark have ruled out arming Kiev, emphasizing the need to find a political solution to the conflict in Ukraine.

US President Barack Obama has not approved lethal aid to Kiev over concerns that it could further escalate the conflict. The United States has so far been providing non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine and has been training Kiev soldiers.

Congress has been pressuring Obama to approve lethal aid to Kiev amid the West's accusations that Russia was involved in the Ukrainian conflict, although Moscow has denied such allegations.