Ukraine Appeals to U.S. for Arms, Ammunition and Intelligence Support

Well, Obama won't do jack to help Ukraine, other than to yap about how the amorphous international community's going to impose "costs." Yep, that oughta have Putin quaking in his boots.

At WSJ, "U.S. Balks at Ukraine Military-Aid Request: U.S. Officials Wary of Inflaming Russia, Agree Only to MREs" (via Google):

WASHINGTON—Ukraine's interim government has appealed for U.S. military aid, including arms, ammunition and intelligence support, according to senior U.S. officials. But the Obama administration has agreed to send only military rations for now, wary of inflaming tensions with Russia.

The U.S. decision reflects the Pentagon's reluctance to be seen as directly supporting Ukraine's beleaguered armed forces during the standoff with Russia, which has seized the Ukrainian region of Crimea.

The risk of escalation was underscored by Russia's move on Thursday to conduct another military exercise near Ukraine. The Kremlin also confirmed it has sent six Sukhoi fighter jets and three transport planes to another former Soviet republic, Belarus, for joint patrols.

Belarusian officials said the move came in response to increased air patrols in the region by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization amid the Ukraine crisis.

Amid such shows of force, U.S. officials acknowledge the Obama administration faces a difficult balancing act. It wants to show support for Ukraine's interim leaders without further antagonizing an unpredictable Moscow or inadvertently emboldening the Ukrainian military to take steps that could spark violence.

"It's not a forever 'no,' it's a 'no for now,'" a senior U.S. official said of Ukraine's request for lethal military support.

Ahead of a visit to Ukraine Friday with other lawmakers, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona criticized the administration's response. "We shouldn't be imposing arms embargoes on victims of aggression," he said.

Ukraine's request coincided with this week's visit to the White House by the country's new prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and came just before Secretary of State John Kerry was scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart in London in a last-ditch bid for a diplomatic solution to the crisis. A referendum Sunday could decide whether the region of Crimea breaks away from Ukraine and joins Russia.

Addressing the U.N. Security Council in New York on Thursday, Mr. Yatsenyuk offered dialogue with Russia to become "real partners" and vowed to defend all minorities in the country. The U.S. said it had drafted a resolution declaring Sunday's referendum illegal, but it is likely to be vetoed by Russia.

Mr. Kerry spoke briefly with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday, reiterating U.S. concerns about the referendum. Mr. Kerry, in testimony before a congressional panel, signaled that U.S. and its European allies were preparing to take "a very serious series of steps" on Monday, barring a change of course by Moscow.

The sanctions threat was underscored by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who delivered an uncharacteristically sharp warning to Russia.

She said Europe was ready to impose visa bans and asset freezes if Moscow didn't agree to start negotiations with Kiev, and that the West was ready to impose broader economic sanctions if Ukraine were further threatened.

"If Russia continues with its policy of the past weeks, then this wouldn't only be a disaster for Ukraine. We as neighboring states would also regard this as a threat," Ms. Merkel said in a speech to parliament in Berlin.

"This wouldn't only change the relationship between the European Union as a whole to Russia, but would also, and I am deeply convinced of this, massively damage Russia economically and politically," she said.

In a sign of how serious the situation had become, Ms. Merkel felt the need to make it clear that "military action isn't an option for us." But her speech evoked Europe's bloody history, including the world wars and the Holocaust, in insisting that territorial conflicts on the continent shouldn't be repeated.

Her warnings toward Russia are virtually unprecedented for a German leader in recent decades, a period in which Germany has tried to reconcile with its World War II adversary.

Germany's business ties to Russia, with some $100 billion in trade yearly, are closer than that of any other Western nation.

Still more at the click-through.