Defense nominee ‘inclined’ to arm Ukrainian military

Defense Secretary nominee Ash Carter on Wednesday said he would be “inclined” to provide weapons to the Ukraine, in contrast with the White House’s current policy.

{mosads}”I am inclined in the direction of providing them arms,” he told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee at his confirmation hearing.

“The nature of those arms, I can’t say right now,” he said, noting that he would have to confer with military officials.

The White House has refused to provide weapons to Ukraine in order to ward off further aggression from Russia, which invaded Ukraine in March. U.S. officials say Russia has been supporting pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine who have killed more than 4,000 Ukrainian troops.

A top national security aide said on Monday that President Obama is sticking to that decision for now, and will instead continue to pursue economic sanctions.

“We still think that the best way to influence Russia’s calculus is through those economic sanctions that are biting deep into the Russian economy,” Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told CNN.

“We are not going to bring the Ukrainian military into parity with Russia’s military, certainly not in the near future,” Rhodes said.

The U.S. has so far provided Ukrainian forces with non-lethal military equipment and training, and has increased exercises to reassure NATO allies in Eastern Europe.

Bipartisan support in Congress is building for providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, after pro-Russian separatists made a series of gains in recent weeks and peace talks between Kiev and Moscow collapsed over the weekend

A group of senators on Tuesday urged Obama to give weapons to Ukraine’s military, arguing a “change in response is needed.”

“Working with our NATO allies, the United States must implement a comprehensive strategy to support Ukraine, deter Russian aggression, and help maintain stability in the region,” the 15-member group — led by Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) — said in a letter to Obama.

“Unfortunately, sanctions alone are unlikely to deter [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. As such, Ukraine needs an immediate infusion of effective defensive military equipment and financial aid to thwart Putin’s naked aggression,” the lawmakers said.

The White House on Wednesday said it was “certainly interested in the view and opinion and the insight” of Carter on Ukraine aid.