Ukraine leader warns US that Russia is global threat

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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko warned Thursday that Russia had put world security in peril, ahead of White House talks rich in symbolism but likely to dim Kiev’s hopes for US security guarantees.

As an eastern European leader defying Russian President Putin, Poroshenko enjoyed a gushing reception on Capitol Hill, as he fired off a combative address to both chambers of Congress.

The White House, meanwhile, geared up to toast the Ukrainian chocolate tycoon turned president.

Poroshenko was to hold White House talks with President Barack Obama that officials said were meant to send a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Maybe the picture of President Poroshenko sitting in the Oval Office will be worth at least a thousand words, both in English and in Russian,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

There were clear signs in Ukraine that Russia was taking a close interest in the talks.

The Ukrainian government accused Moscow of massing 4,000 troops on border of Ukraine and annexed Crimea.

In another twist to the crisis, a foreign ministry official in the Belarussian capital Minsk said new peace talks, involving Russia, Ukraine, separatists and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) would take place on Friday.

Following in the footsteps of leaders like Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Charles de Gaulle by addressing a joint meeting of Congress, Poroshenko said Russia was a growing threat.

“There are moments in history when freedom is more than just a political concept,” he said.

“At those moments, freedom becomes (an) ultimate choice which defines who you are.”

He argued that nostalgia for the Soviet Union and European imperialism had conjured up a “revisionist” attitude in Moscow.

He said the Russian-backed proxy wars and extremist movements first seen in Crimea must be confined.

“If they are not stopped now, they will cross European borders and spread throughout the globe,” Poroshenko said.

In a speech punctuated by multiple standing ovations, Poroshenko called on NATO to grant Ukraine special status, to help it beef up its defenses.

“Given today’s situation, Ukraine’s democracy will have to rely on a strong army,” Poroshenko said.

“With this in mind, I strongly encourage the United States to give Ukraine a special security and defense status which reflects the highest level of interaction with non-NATO allies.”

He also asked for more political support, tougher sanctions on Russia and lethal military aid.

“Blankets and night-vision goggles are important,” he said. “But one can not win a war with blankets.”

 

– Non lethal aid –

 

A senior US official said Washington would offer Ukraine another $46 million in non-lethal aid, mainly for border and military guards.

But Poroshenko will not secure US support to grant get non-NATO member ally status, which Moscow would likely view as a provocation.

The official said that because of its existing ties to the western alliance, including in the NATO-Ukraine commission, Kiev already enjoyed the benefits it would get from non-NATO ally status, including security help, advice, training and joint exercises.

The Obama administration will also not heed calls from Congress to send arms to bolster Ukraine’s armed forces, reasoning that such a step would not alter the dynamics of power between Kiev and Moscow.

“The kinds of weaponry that are being discussed would not have a decisive effect,” the official said.

The Oval Office meeting takes place two days after parliament in Kiev ratified a historic pact with the EU and adopted legislation offering self-rule to the east in votes crucial to the future shape of the nation.

Poroshenko’s offer won Russia’s support, although pro-Moscow rebels were more dismissive, pledging to fight on for independence.

The self-rule law and accompanying legislation granting amnesty to fighters were drawn up under a truce signed 13 days ago that has eased — but not halted — violence around insurgent strongholds in eastern Ukraine.

The situation in the flashpoint city of Donetsk appeared calm Thursday after days of shelling that killed around 30 civilians and soldiers.

Moscow, echoing comments by Washington and Brussels, said Kiev’s overture was a “step in the right direction” towards ending a conflict that has cost almost 2,900 lives and stirred East-West tensions.

The law was approved just moments before MPs also ratified a landmark political and economic pact with the EU that decisively pulls Ukraine away from Moscow’s sphere of influence.

Russia’s annexation of Crimea and aggression in Ukraine has pitched US-Russian relations in to their deepest crisis since the Cold War.

 

– Vulnerable position –

 

Washington has imposed a range of sanctions on Moscow and cajoled Europe into matching action, though it has much less exposure to the Russian economy than its allies across the Atlantic.

Obama has denounced Russian policy during trips to former Soviet Bloc states Poland and Estonia this year.

He says Washington’s security guarantees to NATO members are inviolate and has stiffened the western alliance’s defenses on its eastern borders.

But Ukraine, lacking a NATO membership card, finds itself in a more vulnerable position.

While denouncing Russia for its moves in Crimea and eastern Ukraine, Washington has made clear it will not take military action.

Obama has argued that though events in Ukraine do not pose a “vital national security” interest for the United States, it is important to stand up to large states like Russia that break international norms. -AFP