Kerry to hold talks in Ukraine as U.S. mulls supplying arms to Kiev February 5, 2015 - 08:05 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is to hold talks in Ukraine, as Washington mulls whether to start sending weapons to help Kiev fight pro-Russian militias, BBC News reports. Kerry will meet Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk in Ukraine's capital. Ashton Carter, the White House's choice for defense secretary, earlier said he was "inclined" to start supplying arms. The U.S. has so far only provided "non-lethal" assistance to Ukraine, such as night-vision goggles and radios. But President Barack Obama is said to be reconsidering his position, accusing Russia of escalating the conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Russia denies accusations by Ukraine and the West that it is arming the separatists and sending its regular troops across the border. Fighting has intensified in recent weeks. Kerry will meet President Poroshenko and Yatseniuk on Thursday, Feb 5 morning, and a news conference is expected later in the day. The issue of weapons deliveries to Ukraine and other U.S. assistance is expected to be one of the main items on the agenda. Kerry will then travel to Munich to take part in the annual security conference in the southern German city.  Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan  A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia.U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel.Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |
