Ukraine in Arabic | Washington pledges more support for Ukraine
KYIV/Ukraine in Arabic/ US President Barack Obama’s Thursday meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart in the Oval Office is a "big push" to rebuild their "diplomatic image" tarnished over the Ukraine crisis, says an analyst.
Obama pledged his support, saying: "as you saw in Congress today you have a strong bipartisan support here in the United States and the people of America stand with people of Ukraine"
The US is to provide $53 million in "non-lethal" aid but Obama stopped short of granting Poroshenko’s request for lethal military aid to fight separatists.
Obama said the US would continue to mobilize the international community to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine.
Earlier, the Ukrainian president was greeted with applause and standing ovations when he addressed the US Congress.
He pushed for further sanctions against what he called "the aggressor" as well as asking for weapons for Ukrainian soldiers.
"They need more military equipment, please understand me correctly. Blankets, night vision goggles are also important but one cannot win the war with blankets," Poroshenko said.
After his speech, the Foreign Relations Committee passed a bill authorizing military aid including lethal aid. However it is not clear when and if the bill will come up for a vote in the US Senate
Poroshenko told reporters he was satisfied with the assistance that Washington was giving to Ukraine.