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Obama, Meeting With Merkel on Ukraine Crisis, Keeps Military Aid Option Open Obama Awaits Outcome of Ukraine Peace Talks Before Deciding on Arms
(about 4 hours later)
WASHINGTON — President Obama said he was weighing providing lethal weapons to Ukraine to help Kiev defend against Russia’s aggression if diplomatic efforts fail to defuse the tensions there, even as he said the United States remained united with Europe in maintaining sanctions against Moscow. WASHINGTON — President Obama said Monday that he would wait for the outcome of peace talks before deciding whether to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. Such assistance would represent a striking break with European allies who say that arming the country against Russian aggression would make the conflict worse.
“The prospect for a military solution to this problem has always been low,” Mr. Obama said, given the extraordinarily powerful military that is at the disposal of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and the length of Russia’s border with Ukraine. In a joint White House news conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Mr. Obama said he was hopeful that economic sanctions would persuade President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to seize a diplomatic solution. But he said the United States would consider sending defensive weapons to Ukraine if European-led talks scheduled for this week did not produce peace.
Nevertheless, at a joint news conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany at the White House Monday, the president said it was clear a set of steep sanctions against Russia “has not yet dissuaded Mr. Putin from following the course that he is on.” He said that had prompted him to ask his team to “look at all options,” including providing an array of defensive weapons to bolster Ukraine’s forces. “If, in fact, diplomacy fails, what I’ve asked my team to do is to look at all options,” Mr. Obama said. “What other means can we put in place to change Mr. Putin’s calculus? And the possibility of lethal defensive weapons is one of those options that’s being examined.”
“I have not made a decision about that yet,” Mr. Obama said. Many leaders in European capitals share the Obama administration’s deep distrust of Mr. Putin, but they continue to hope that the pressure of economic sanctions will lead him to accept some sort of settlement. But the major Western European countries, including Britain, Germany and France, oppose sending arms.
Most European countries, including Germany and France, oppose sending arms, arguing that doing so would only make the conflict worse. “We continue to pursue a diplomatic solution, although we have suffered a lot of setbacks,” Ms. Merkel said during her White House visit.
“We continue to pursue a diplomatic solution, although we have suffered a lot of setbacks,” Ms. Merkel said. “I’ve always said I don’t see a military solution to this conflict.” The potential disagreement between the American president and his European counterparts was on stark display as Ms. Merkel said, “I don’t see a military solution to this conflict.” But she appeared to suggest that an American decision to send arms despite Berlin’s objections would not lead to a major break in American-German relations, noting that “on certain issues we may not always agree.”
The issue has threatened to cleave what has until now been a united front among the United States and its European allies over how to respond to the Ukrainian conflict, which has been stoked by a steady supply of weapons and soldiers from Russia. After a meeting with Ms. Merkel early Monday evening in Ottawa, Canada’s prime minister, Stephen Harper echoed Mr. Obama’s words from earlier in the day. Although he expressed his hope that diplomacy would resolve the situation in Ukraine, Mr. Harper repeatedly noted that Russia continued to pursue a military approach.
Many European capitals share Washington’s distrust of Mr. Putin, but continue to hope that the pressure of economic sanctions will lead him to accept some sort of settlement. Asked if Canada will supply weapons to Ukraine’s government, he said, “We’ll look at all options, but obviously, we will proceed with caution and in collaboration with all our allies.”
Despite their possible differences on weapons, Mr. Obama and Ms. Merkel worked to project a unified front. The issue of whether to provide more than nonlethal military aid to Ukraine’s army has threatened to cleave what has until now been a united front among the United States and some of its major European allies over how to respond to the Ukrainian conflict, which has been stoked by a steady supply of weapons and soldiers from Russia. But both Ms. Merkel and Mr. Obama sought to play down the impact of a disagreement, saying the international coalition that has backed economic sanctions against Russia would survive such a dispute.
“Russian aggression has only reinforced the unity between the United States, Germany and other European allies,” the president said. “There’s going to continue to be a strong, unified response between the United States and Europe — that’s not going to change.” “Russian aggression has only reinforced the unity between the United States, Germany and other European allies,” the president said. “There’s going to continue to be a strong, unified response between the United States and Europe; that’s not going to change.”
The two leaders spoke after European foreign ministers agreed to postpone imposing a new round of sanctions against Russia, hoping to avert a rift with the United States over sending arms and to nudge forward so far fruitless talks with Moscow. Ms. Merkel said the alliance would remain “solid” and added that “this trans-Atlantic partnership for Germany and for Europe is indispensable.”
Diplomats who attended Monday’s meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels said that Federica Mogherini, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, had proposed delaying new sanctions for a few days after a request for a pause from the leadership in Kiev. Mr. Obama signaled his willingness to wait for Ms. Merkel, Mr. Putin and the leaders of Ukraine and France to seek a negotiated cease-fire at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. But Mr. Obama hinted at the potential rift over providing weapons, saying there “may be some areas where there are tactical disagreements.”
Ukraine had previously lobbied Europe to take tough action against Moscow, but apparently now worries that further moves might jeopardize efforts for a truce with rapidly advancing pro-Russian rebels. Such an accord could be reached at a possible meeting later this week among the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine. The president’s comments suggested that arguments in favor of lethal aid by some of his senior advisers have made their way to his desk.
European governments decided to expand the list of sanctioned individuals who are facing asset freezes and travel bans after pro-Russian rebels mounted a rocket attack late last month on the port city of Mariupol, killing about 30 Ukrainian civilians. NATO’s military commander, Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, said at a security conference in Munich on Saturday that if economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure failed to persuade Mr. Putin to remove his forces from Ukraine and to stop helping the separatists, then sending defensive arms should not be ruled out. On Capitol Hill last week, Mr. Obama’s choice to be the next defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, said he would be inclined to support Ukraine with defensive weapons.
The sanctions apply currently to more than 130 Russians and Ukrainian separatist leaders backed by Russia. In a speech on Saturday at the Munich conference, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said that “the Ukrainian people have a right to defend themselves.” But he stopped short of saying that the United States would provide lethal weapons.
The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine have tentatively agreed to meet on Wednesday in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. But it was unclear on Monday whether that meeting would actually take place. Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican who is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Monday accused Mr. Obama and Ms. Merkel of a “ ‘more of the same’ diplomatic strategy” and urged them to provide defensive weapons immediately.
Speaking to reporters early Monday in Brussels, the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, also expressed uncertainty over what he called the “possible summit in Minsk.” Mr. McCain said that providing such arms to Ukraine is “an essential component to achieving” a political solution because it would intensify the pressure on Mr. Putin to come to the negotiating table.
As Europe pushes for a diplomatic settlement to the Ukraine crisis, the Obama administration is weighing whether to send arms to help Ukraine’s military counter an offensive by the pro-Russian rebels in the east. Most European countries, including Germany and France, oppose sending arms, arguing that doing so would only add fuel to the fire. “As Russian soldiers fail to return home from Ukraine, Putin will be challenged to sustain a war that he has told his people is not happening,” Mr. McCain said.
Even generally pro-American nations like the Netherlands are skeptical about the wisdom of sending weapons. “I don’t think it is the moment right now,” said the Dutch foreign minister, Bert Koenders. “We really need to come to a political solution.” Mr. Obama and Ms. Merkel spoke after European foreign ministers agreed to postpone imposing a new round of sanctions against Russia, hoping to avert a rift with the United States over sending arms.
The issue has threatened to divide what has until now been a united front among the United States and its European allies over how to respond to the Ukrainian conflict, which has been stoked by a steady supply of weapons and soldiers from Russia. Many European capitals share Washington’s distrust of President Putin, but continue to hope that the pressure of economic sanctions will lead him to accept some sort of settlement. European governments decided late last month to expand the list of people under sanctions — those who face the freezing of their assets and travel bans — after pro-Russian rebels mounted a rocket attack on Mariupol, a Ukrainian port city, killing about 30 Ukrainian civilians.
Mr. Fabius, the French foreign minister, said that any future settlement must be based “as far as possible” on the terms of a stillborn truce reached last September in Minsk. But he acknowledged that “there have been certain evolutions on the ground” that make a settlement difficult. Russian-backed separatists have captured more territory since September and have said they will never agree to retreat to their previous positions. The sanctions apply currently to more than 130 Russians and Ukrainian separatist leaders supported by Russia.
The sanctions delay, Mr. Fabius said, will give the 28 nations of the European Union time to review Russia’s willingness to work toward a peaceful solution. He said a critical issue was whether a firm agreement could be reached to withdraw heavy weapons behind specified lines. Previous agreements have all collapsed. Speaking to reporters early Monday in Brussels, the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, expressed uncertainty over what he called the “hopefully possible summit in Minsk.”
More hawkish countries, notably Britain, argued against a pause in sanctions but went along with other nations on Monday in endorsing a delay. “Until we see Russia complying on the ground, we can’t relieve the pressure,” the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said ahead of the meeting. “We need not just words but deeds on the ground.” “We can only reiterate that we do not know whether this will go well,” Mr. Schäfer said. “We don’t know whether it’s possible to reach a political deal.”
One of the few countries urging military support for Ukraine’s beleaguered government is Lithuania, a tiny Baltic nation that, along with other countries once occupied by the Soviet Union, takes a highly skeptical view of the Kremlin’s declarations in favor of peace and Western Europe’s hopes for a political settlement. Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, said any future settlement must be based “as far as possible” on the terms of a truce reached last September in Minsk, which fell apart immediately. But he acknowledged that “there have been certain evolutions on the ground” that make a settlement difficult. Russian-backed separatists have captured more territory since September and have said they will never agree to retreat to their previous positions.
“How can you have a peaceful solution when the other side is still fighting?” asked Linas Linkevicius, Lithuania’s foreign minister, “The only peaceful solution in this case is surrender.” Russian statements, he added, “are all worthless.” The sanctions delay will give the 28 nations of the European Union time to review Russia’s willingness to work toward a peaceful solution, Mr. Fabius said. He said a critical issue was whether a firm agreement could be reached to withdraw heavy weapons behind specified lines. Previous agreements have all collapsed.
More hawkish countries, notably Britain, have argued against a delay in sanctions. “Until we see Russia complying on the ground, we can’t relieve the pressure,” the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said Monday. “We need not just words but deeds on the ground.”