The U.S. Pentagon and State Department have devised plans to supply Ukraine with antitank missiles and other weaponry, IA «Vchasno» reports citing The Wall Street Journal.
According to U.S military officials and diplomats, defensive weapons are designed to prevent Moscow's aggressive actions in the east of Ukraine.
It is noted that Russia provides militants in the Donbass with tanks and other sophisticated armaments, and also by military advisers.
A Pentagon spokeswoman, Michelle L. Baldanza, said the U.S. has not «ruled out the option» of providing «lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine». According to the WSJ, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis has endorsed the plan.
It is reported that U.S President Donald Trump has not yet been informed about the plan, and his position is unknown. Some American and Ukrainian officials say that the White House's final decision will be known in a few months.
U.S. officials say they worry that the conflict has intensified, with a rising number of cease-fire violations.
Earlier, the idea of arms supplies to Ukraine was supported by the U.S State Department's Special Representative Kurt Volker. He said that the supply of weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces could change Moscow's behavior in the Ukrainian question.
As reported by RIA Novosti, press secretary for President of Russia Dmitriy Peskov, commenting on information on possible arms supplies to Ukraine, said that «all countries, especially those that pretend to play a role in conflict resolution, should avoid actions that could provoke a new round of tensions in so on uneasy region».