US won't ship lethal weapons to Ukraine

US authorities do not intend to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine, John Kirby, an official representative of the US Defense Department said. 

According to Reuters, Kirby explained that the position of the USA regarding the supplies of non-lethal weapons had not changed. The US will continue supplying such weapons to armed forces and security forces of Ukraine. According to him, the US government receives requests from Ukraine for military assistance, although "now the focus remains on non-lethal" equipment, the official said. 

Responding to a direct question about the possibility to start deliveries of lethal weapons to Ukraine, Kirby said  that the US "continues to focus on supplying only non-lethal weapons to Ukraine."

Kirby made the announcement on the threshold of US Gen. Phillip Breedlove's (the commander of NATO forces in Europe) visit to Kiev that was scheduled to take place on November 26. In Kiev, Breedlove intends to discuss the situation in the east of the country and the possible assistance of the US to Kiev.

In September 2014, President of Ukraine Poroshenko asked the US Congress to provide military assistance to Kiev. However, even after the meeting with US President Barack Obama, Poroshenko failed to reach an agreement on the supplies of heavy weapons to Ukraine.