UNIAN
March 2, 2015
US decision to give Ukraine defensive weapons ‘99% settled,’ says Saakashvili
The United States has “99% settled” the question of giving Ukraine defensive weaponry, former president of Georgia and current freelance adviser to the President of Ukraine Mikheil Saakashvili has told Ukrainian news broadcaster Channel 5.
“The main thing we are trying to achieve in the United States is that Ukraine receives defensive weapons,’ Saakashvili said.
“Almost everyone is standing by us – public opinion on our side. Giving defensive weapons to Ukraine is a powerful signal to save thousands of lives, to stop further Russian aggression: We all know that now Putin will try to capture not only Mariupol, but the whole southern flank [of Ukraine, and] then he will try to bring down the government in Kyiv. The Ukrainian state needs to defend and protect its security.”
“America is a democratic country, so it was very important to hear publicly voices in the Congress and the Senate, and to see a strong call next week regarding provision defensive weapons for Ukraine. This issue is in the spotlight of all U.S. media. When [Ukrainian] President [Petro] Poroshenko raised this issue in the Congress in his triumphal speech in September last year, for many it was a surprise and a lot of people refused even to listen to it. Now, the decision is practically settled – 99%. I don’t know when the last and most significant 1% will come – I hope soon, because Ukraine is running short of time.”
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Ukrinform
March 2, 2015
U.S. decision to provide Ukraine with weapons is 99% ready – Saakashvili
KYIV: The decision of the United States to provide Ukraine with defensive weapons is 99% ready.
Non-staff adviser to the President of Ukraine, president of Georgia in 2004-2013 Mikheil Saakashvili said this on the air of Ukrainian Channel 5.
“America is a democratic state, so it is very important that the strong demand to provide Ukraine with weapons has been stated in the Congress, in the Senate, and it will be stated the next week. This demand is now covered by all the U.S. media. When President Poroshenko said about this in the Congress in his triumphal speech in last September, it was a surprise for many and many did not even want to listen to that. At the moment, this decision is practically 99 per cent ready. I do not know when there will be the last, the most significant per cent. I hope that will happen soon, because Ukraine is short of time,” he said.
Saakashvili noted that in the U.S. “almost everybody is on our side.” Providing Ukraine with defensive weapons will be the strongest signal in order to save thousands of lives and stop further Russian aggression.
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