U.S. to provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities" to deter further "aggression":
By RFE/RL
The United States says it has decided to provide Ukraine with "enhanced defensive capabilities" to help it "deter further aggression" in a move that deepens U.S. involvement as Kyiv battles Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said late on December 22 that the assistance was intended to help Ukraine, which has long sought to boost its capabilities to "defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression."
The statement did not specify the type of weapons, but CNN and the Associated Press quoted unnamed U.S. officials as saying they would include the Javelin antitank missiles that Ukraine has long sought, a move that would likely substantially ratchet up tensions with the Kremlin.
Nauert said only that "U.S. assistance is entirely defensive in nature, and as we have always said, Ukraine is a sovereign country and has a right to defend itself."
"The United States remains committed to the Minsk agreements as the way forward in eastern Ukraine," she said, adding that the State Department would not comment further on the situation "at this time."
Konstantin Kosachev, a senior member of the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, called the move a step toward war.
"Washington's recent decision, alas, once again is in favor of war, not peace," he wrote on Facebook.
He added that the move "has an obvious, blatant, and even articulated political implication."
The announcement comes after the State Department on December 21 said it had approved an export license for Ukraine to buy certain types of light weapons and small arms from U.S. manufacturers.
That license covered weapons in categories such as semiautomatic and automatic firearms up to .50 caliber weapons, combat shotguns, silencers, military scopes, flash suppressors, and parts.
However, the State Department played down the significance of the licensing after that announcement.
"Under the previous two administrations, the U.S. government has approved export licenses to Ukraine, so this is nothing new," Nauert said on December 21.
Sales of this type generally would require approval from Congress. It was unclear whether the administration had formally notified Congress, but lawmakers are unlikely to try to block it as moves to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine have strong bipartisan support.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently warned that violence is up about 60 percent in Ukraine this year, and Kyiv has urged Washington to provide heavier weapons, such as the Javelin missiles, to strengthen its capabilities against the separatists.
The increase in support for Ukraine's military comes amid preliminary discussions on the possibility of sending United Nations peacekeepers to the region to improve security for Ukrainians, as well as for special monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who are on the ground in Ukraine.
U.S. media reported on December 22 that President Donald Trump was ready to authorize the sale of the missiles, although that was not referenced in the State Department statement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned against any U.S. move to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, saying it would fuel the conflict and could lead the separatists to expand their military operations.
Ukraine has been battling Russia-backed separatists who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the eastern part of the country in a war that has killed more than 10,300 people since April 2014.
Several cease-fire deals have been announced as part of the so-called Minsk agreements -- one in September 2014 and another in February 2015 -- although they have met with little success on the ground.
Russia denies interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs, despite compelling evidence that Moscow has provided military, economic, and political support to the separatists. (w/CNN, AP)
Poroshenko, Merkel agree on need for quick prisoner exchange:
By RFE/RL
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have agreed on the need to expedite an exchange of prisoners held on both sides of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Merkel’s office says.
A spokesman for Merkel on December 22 said the comments came in a telephone conversation between the two leaders. It also came a day after Merkel had spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"This [a prisoner swap] will be an important step in the implementation of the Minsk agreements," the spokesman said.
"President Poroshenko stressed that he would do everything to ensure that the exchange took place as soon as possible," he added.
Russia-backed separatists have been fighting Poroshenko's government forces in eastern Ukraine in a war that has killed more than 10,300 people since it started in April 2014. Russia has also annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region, a move not recognized by the international community.
The Ukrainian presidential press service said Poroshenko and Merkel supported the latest agreement reached in the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) to establish a new cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.
The TCG -- Ukraine, Russia, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) -- said on December 20 that they agreed on a holiday cease-fire to begin at midnight on December 23.
While welcoming the holiday cease-fire, both leaders agreed it should lead to a longer-term improvement of the security situation in the region, officials said.
Several cease-fire deals have been announced as part of the so-called Minsk agreements -- September 2014 and February 2015 accords aimed at resolving the conflict -- although they have met with little success on the ground.
During the TCG meeting, the parties also confirmed the need to move forward with the prisoner swap, although specific dates were not settled upon. Some officials have expressed hopes that the exchange would take place before the end of the year.
Reports say Ukraine has 306 separatist fighters in custody, while the separatists are holding 74 government soldiers.
The Ukrainian and German leaders expressed regret over Russia's decision to unilaterally withdraw its representatives from the Joint Control and Coordination Center (JCCC) for the cease-fire in the conflict region.
They urged Moscow to rejoin the JCCC effort and discussed the possibility of German and French representatives becoming involved in the process.
The planned cease-fire as well as the potential prisoner exchange were discussed by Putin and Merkel during a phone call on December 21, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Putin also told Merkel that Russia withdrew its military observers from the JCCC because of what Moscow said were "restrictions and provocations" by Ukrainian authorities, according to the Kremlin.
Kyiv criticized Moscow’s decision, saying it could fuel hostilities. (w/RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, Reuters)
This ends our live blogging for December 22. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our continuing coverage.