President Obama has approved the use of $75 million to provide non-lethal aid to Ukraine, including the transfer of drones and Humvees.
According to the White House, the funds will be used to provide radios, communications, and non-lethal UAV drones to assist Ukraine’s command centers and communications as well as counter-mortar radars. Obama has also authorized the transfer of 30 armored and up to 200 unarmored Humvees.
This incrementally ratchets up Obama’s promise of non-lethal aide to Ukraine, but does not cross the threshold of providing lethal weapons to the country for its defense.
Yesterday, a State Department official confirmed that Russian tanks, armored vehicles, heavy artillery and rocket equipment continue to cross the Ukranian border to back separatists.
“While we continue to believe that there is no military resolution to this crisis, Ukraine has the right to defend itself,” a senior administration official at the White House confirmed. “As part of our ongoing efforts to bolster Ukraine’s defense and internal security operations and resist further aggression, we will provide to Ukraine $75 million in additional non-lethal defensive security assistance.”
Republicans were quick to dismiss the president’s approach.
“This aid will be completely ineffective,” Press Secretary for Speaker John Boehner Cory Fritz said in a statement to Breitbart News. “The Ukrainians are begging for help, and the Congress is begging the administration to provide the defensive lethal assistance we authorized in December. Our allies deserve better.”
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