KIEV (Sputnik) — At present, US military assistance to Kiev is limited to supplying uniforms and equipment, including counter-battery radars, drones and means of secure communication.
"We surely need it [lethal arms]. Actually, I have always said that I don't like this division [of arms] into lethal and non-lethal. There is a distinct notion of defensive arms. And we need it. We surely need more high-technology weapons, we need effective cooperation with the United States and NATO in many fields," Klimkin told the Mirror Weekly newspaper.
Russian officials have repeatedly warned against arms deliveries to Ukraine, stressing that it would only escalate the situation in the eastern part of the country.
Different European politicians, including former OSCE Chairman and German President-elect Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as well as NATO Military Committee Chairman Peter Pavel have also spoken against arms deliveries to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government has been conducting a military operation in the country's eastern regions since April 2014, after local residents refused to recognize the new government in Kiev. In February 2015, Kiev and the Donbass militias signed a ceasefire deal. Despite the agreement, both sides have been reporting violations of the ceasefire.
