WASHINGTON, February 10 (Sputnik) — Russia’s commitment to the possible deal on the resolving the Ukraine crisis that may be reached on Wednesday in Minsk will affect the US decision to further arm Kiev, White House Spokesperson Josh Earnest said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
“Certainly, the decision about offering additional military assistance to the Ukrainian military will be affected by how seriously Russia participates in these [Minsk] negotiations and how committed they [Russians] actually are to living up to their end of the bargain,” Earnest said.
“The president [Obama], I think, has been clear that this diplomatic opening is one that is worth pursuing because no matter what happens, this is going to be resolved diplomatically,” Earnest said.
Earnest explained that additional military assistance to Ukraine will only increase the likelihood of more widespread violence.
Earlier on Tuesday, the envoys of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France — countries that comprise the so-called Normandy format — held talks on the Ukraine crisis in Berlin ahead of the Wednesday summit in Minsk.
A diplomatic source told RIA Novosti on Tuesday that the creation of a demilitarized zone in eastern Ukraine will be a key topic of discussion during the upcoming meeting in Minsk.
