US dilemma over arms for rebels
Would supplying Kiev with the sophisticated weapons it needs bring the conflict closer to an end, or could the US fan the flames of war?
By considering providing weapons to Kiev, the United States could be contemplating a risky venture advocates say would help end the conflict in Ukraine but opponents warn might fan the flames of war.
A senior US administration official said on Monday no decision had been made on whether to send arms to help Ukrainian forces fight Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
Considering such a move stems from frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to blink over Ukraine, despite Western sanctions and a financial crisis in Russia, and concern over a surge in violence in the past weeks.
It also reflects a dilemma: what can the West do if sanctions don't work, or don't work quickly enough?
"A stronger Ukrainian military, with enhanced defensive capabilities, will increase the prospects for negotiation of a peaceful settlement," said a report by the Washington-based think-tank the Atlantic Council, which suggested military aid should include light anti-armour missiles, drones and armoured Humvee military vehicles.
Such words are welcome to Kiev's pro-Western leaders, whose forces have suffered battlefield setbacks and who accuse Russia of sending troops and modern weapons to back up the rebels.
Yesterday, shelling at a hospital, six schools and five kindergartens in east Ukraine killed at least five people ahead of a visit to Kiev by US Secretary of State John Kerry that will see possible arms supplies high on the agenda.