By Glynn Cosker
In Homeland Security Editor
President Barack Obama is set to meet Wednesday with Ukraine’s president-elect Petro Poroshenko for the first time. Obama is standing firm on his assertion of not providing weapons to aid Ukraine’s resistance of pro-Russian rebels.
The president reiterated the same stance as during the recent Crimea crisis when the U.S. provided ‘non-lethal assistance.’ Despite that, Poroshenko is looking to strengthen his country’s position by asking the U.S. to provide training and instruction on how to modernize Ukraine’s existing military infrastructure—a move welcomed by the U.S. State Department.
The meeting between Obama and Poroshenko will undoubtedly focus on Russia and the activities of its insurgents. However, Obama stated Wednesday that other key issues are on the table.
“We’re going to spend a lot of time on the economics of Ukraine,” Obama said.
Economics is one thing, but Poroshenko sits in a tenable position and is likely pleased to also note that Obama wants Vladimir Putin to take immediate inroads help rebuild the fragmented diplomatic relations created by Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Obama stated that Putin “has a choice to make” on Ukraine, also saying that if the U.S. notices “responsible behavior” from Russia, “it is possible for us to try to rebuild some of the trust that has been shattered.”
During his current trip to Poland, Obama unveiled a $1 billion plan to improve security for NATO allies and gave his Russian counterpart a firm warning: further aggressive behavior in Ukraine will result in steeper sanctions. The plan must be approved by Congress and will rotate U.S. troops into strategic positions in Europe and will boost security on other nations bordering Russia including Moldova and Georgia.
Obama has met with numerous European leaders and states that the security of the continent “is a cornerstone of our own security and it is sacrosanct.”
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