Obama Calls Ukrainian President Over Peace Talks

Washington (PNA/Xinhua) — U.S. President Barack Obama and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko discussed situation in eastern Ukraine and the current talks on a cease-fire and peace deal during a call, the White House said Tuesday.

Obama expressed his strong support for the current peace negotiations and both leaders praised the contributions of Germany and France in the effort to achieve a sustainable, peaceful resolution to the conflict, according to a statement issued by the White House statement.

As conflicts in Eastern Ukraine continue to intensify, Obama administration was re-considering arming Kiev with lethal weapons.

During his joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel Monday, however, Obama said that it had not been decided yet whether Washington would provide the Ukrainian forces with lethal weapons.

“Now, it is true that if, diplomacy fails, what I’ve asked my team to do is to look at all options,” he said. “And the possibility of lethal defensive weapons is one of those options that’s being examined.”

Obama left open the prospect, a scenario which opponents, including Merkel, feared would trigger a proxy war with Moscow.

Expectations for a new progress in resolving the Ukrainian crisis have risen following a flurry of recent international efforts made in hopes of finding a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict in southeastern Ukraine which has claimed more than 5,300 lives and left 1.5 million people displaced since April 2014. In her latest bid to strike a peace deal, Merkel would join heads of state from France, Russia and Ukraine for a summit held in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, Wednesday. (PNA/Xinhua) FPV/JSD