State Department briefing

State Department briefing 

MS. PSAKI: Did you have another question on Ukraine? Go ahead.

QUESTION: Yeah. Again, if the summit fails, as many observers and even officials believe, will the U.S. immediately proceed with its plan to deliver defensive weapons?

MS. PSAKI: Well, one, there hasn’t been a decision made to provide defensive weapons, as the President stated yesterday and the Secretary stated just two days ago. Obviously, the situation on the ground – increasing violence and the unwillingness of Russians and Russian-backed separatists to abide by and implement the Minsk protocols, of which is the basis for the ongoing discussions now – has resulted in discussions internally and, certainly, with our partners around the world about what the appropriate steps are, whether that’s assistance or additional consequences. And I expect that would continue if there is no result from these discussions.

QUESTION: Did you mean lethal weapons rather than defensive, or defensive lethal weapons?

MS. PSAKI: Well, we – they’re defensive weapons. When people say they’re lethal, we think that’s a misunderstanding or misnomer on what they actually are. They’re helping Ukraine defend themselves.

QUESTION: But the point is you’ve given them defensive weapons in the past, correct?

MS. PSAKI: Well —

QUESTION: Or defensive items in the past.

MS. PSAKI: Defensive items —

QUESTION: Got it. Okay.

MS. PSAKI: — but we’re talking about something slightly different.

QUESTION: Yeah. Got it.

MS. PSAKI: Yeah.

QUESTION: Sudan?

QUESTION: Oh, wait —

QUESTION: Russia?

MS. PSAKI: Any more on Ukraine before —

QUESTION: One more on Ukraine.

MS. PSAKI: Sure. Go ahead.

QUESTION: Thank you. There are defense ministry officials quoted in the Russian press – they’re anonymous, but one said – threatens asymmetrical response or retaliation against Washington if any of this aid is eventually provided. I’m wondering if you have any – against you and allies on other fronts, they say. I’m wondering if you have any response to that or thoughts, despite the fact a decision is pending.

MS. PSAKI: Threats against Washington?

QUESTION: Yes.

MS. PSAKI: In what way?

QUESTION: They don’t specify. That’s part of my question, I guess. Asymmetrical retaliation is what they are threatening.

MS. PSAKI: Well, I don’t have any understanding of what that means, so I suggest before I respond accordingly that we get a little more clarification from the Russians about what they intend or if they even stand by those presumably anonymous comments.

QUESTION: Fair enough. Thank you.

QUESTION: Russia?

MS. PSAKI: Go ahead – oh, on Ukraine? Okay. Go ahead, Abbie.

QUESTION: President Poroshenko said that tomorrow’s meeting in Minsk is one of the last chances to declare unconditional ceasefire. Is that something that the U.S. agrees with, it’s one of the last chances?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I think one of the last chances, certainly. I think Chancellor Merkel said something similar yesterday, in the sense that we are all – we all believe there’s no military solution. We’re committed to a diplomatic solution and trying to find a path forward. We’ve tried. We have had the Minsk protocols and agreement in place since September, and Russia and the Russian-backed separatists declined to implement that. So we’ll see where we are after tomorrow. One of the last – we will – of course, diplomatic and diplomacy is certainly our preferred option here, but we’ll certainly evaluate what comes out of tomorrow.

QUESTION: Are you aware of any attacks that actually emanate from the eastern part of the Ukraine, let’s say against the other – the rest of the Ukraine, like Kyiv and so on? Are there any, like, maybe guerilla attacks from that part of the country?

MS. PSAKI: I’m not quite sure what you’re referring to, Said.

QUESTION: I’m referring to – are there operations that are being carried out from the eastern part of Ukraine, that declared itself somewhat independent or whatever, against the rest of the Ukraine, like in Kyiv or big cities and so on, or is it the other way around? Or there are attacks from the central government against the eastern region?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I think we’ve all seen reports on the ground and where the focus of the back-and-forth action is. I don’t have any new attacks to announce for you today.

QUESTION: This is a little bit off —

MS. PSAKI: Okay.

QUESTION: — the beaten track here, but Russian media, Russian commentators have been making a lot of this chyron thing that was on a certain news network yesterday, saying that the President was considering arming “pro-U.S. troops.” Recognizing that this network does not speak for the —

MS. PSAKI: We don’t write chyrons, yes. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Exactly. Recognizing that a television network does not represent the views of the U.S. Government, I just want to check to make sure with you: Do you consider – does the Administration consider Ukrainian troops, the Ukrainian army, to be pro-U.S.?

MS. PSAKI: We consider them pro-Ukraine.

QUESTION: Okay. But you don’t consider them to be fighting on your behalf?

MS. PSAKI: They’re fighting on their own behalf.

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