Russia's War Against Ukraine
OP-ED
Steven Pifer and Strobe Talbott: Time to give Ukraine defensive weapons
A pro-Russian militant commander Vassili Petrovic, 40-year old, stands on a hill as smoke ascends around points close to the village of Zuivka, on Sept. 18, 2014, as the front line between pro-Russian militants and the Ukrainian army moves 50 kms east of Donetsk.
When Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko visits Washington on Sept. 18, he will almost certainly again ask for U.S. military assistance, including defensive weapons. President Barack Obama should say yes. Arming Kyiv can deter Russian Vladimir Putin from further aggression and support the fragile Ukraine ceasefire and settlement process. Doing so would also bolster U.S. efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation.
