MOSCOW, September 19 (RIA Novosti) - US President Barack Obama on Thursday rolled out a $53 million worth aid package to Ukraine that includes only general military help, despite Kiev"s continued pleas for lethal aid.
"We are fully satisfied with the agreement reached today. It does not include lethal weapons from the United States, but we can have a possibility to receive [them] from other countries," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in an interview with CNN following his meeting with Obama.
"We asked for seriously increasing our security and defense cooperation with the United States, and the White House and President Obama said "yes." And I have absolutely no disappointment about that," he said commenting on his feelings about not being promised the much sought-after military hardware from Washington.
He added however that what the region and the whole world really needed now was a step toward peace. "This conflict is impossible to win only by military means," Poroshenko said.
The Ukrainian president also thanked Obama for his "leadership in the defending of the Ukrainian sovereignty, integrity and independence."
Washington said earlier it would allocate $53 million in aid to Ukraine, with $46 million helping strengthen Ukraine's security and $7 million meant for humanitarian aid, according to Reuters.
