WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earnest explained the United States will assist Kiev in its struggle against Russian violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The United States is not prepared to go to war over Ukraine. But, at the same time, there may be an opportunity for the United States and our NATO partners to help them confront the threat that they’re facing from Russia.”
When asked if the White House will tell Kiev to go solve its own problems, just as it recently told Iraqi leaders, Earnest said the situations are much different given that Iraq is dealing with a terrorist organization while Kiev is being menaced by a large nation-state on its border.
“I guess one thing that’s true in Iraq that is also true in Ukraine is that the United States is standing by our Ukrainian partners.”
US President Barack Obama, according to Earnest, will likely discuss the crisis in Ukraine when he travels to Europe to attend the G7 meetings next week.
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on May 6, 2015, that the United States has equipped Ukraine government forces with defensive arms to counter independence supporters in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow's relations with the United States and NATO deteriorated substantially because of Crimea's reunification with Russia and the Ukrainian conflict. The alliance has accused Russia of meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs and participating in the conflict in the country's southeast, a claim which Moscow has firmly denied.
In April 2014, NATO suspended what it carefully described as all practical cooperation with Moscow. Over the past year, NATO has been increasing its military presence in Eastern Europe and near Russia's western border and has conducted large-scale military exercises in the Baltic states.
Russia has described US legislation to provide weapons to Kiev as provocative, warning that such an approach could escalate violence in Ukraine. Russia has also repeatedly voiced concern over NATO’s military buildup in Eastern Europe over the past year, and military exercises conducted near its western borders.
