Proxy war? Obama facing rising pressure to send lethal aid to Ukraine

President Obama is facing rising pressure from former officials, security analysts and top lawmakers to provide Ukraine lethal military aid to help battle Moscow-backed rebels gaining ground in the country’s east — raising the prospect of a proxy war with Russia should the U.S. take that step.

 

Though the State Department insisted Monday that “no decisions have been made,” the president reportedly is considering the calls to send American weapons to the embattled government. Doing so would mark a significant policy shift, and officials took a cautious tone Monday when peppered with questions about the administration’s thinking.

 

“I don’t think anybody wants to get into a proxy war with Russia,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. She said the objective is “to change the behavior of Russia,” citing sanctions as one tool toward that goal.

 

Asked about the possibility of arming the Ukrainian government, Psaki acknowledged, “Naturally we take into account events on the ground and events that are ongoing.”

 

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