Lethal Aid To Ukraine To Cause Escalation, Says US İntel Head

By not providing lethal arms to Ukraine the U.S. is trying to avoid provoking Russia into deploying more sophisticated weaponry into separatist areas, according to the head of U.S. national intelligence.



James Clapper testified Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee about worldwide threats and U.S. national security. 



Responding to a question by committee chairman, Sen. John McCain, Clapper said providing lethal assistance to Ukraine might evoke a negative reaction from Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russians. 



"It could potentially further remove the very thin fig leaf of their position that they have not been involved in Ukraine and could lead to accelerating or promoting more weaponry and higher sophistication into the separatist areas to support the separatists," said Clapper. 



A majority of Congress is in favor of arming Ukrainians.



Clapper's assessment was challenged by McCain who said Putin has already intervened in the eastern parts of the country as well as annexing the Crimean Peninsula in southeast Ukraine. 



"I believe he wants a whole, from an infrastructure standpoint, entity, I believe, composed of the two oblasts in eastern Ukraine, which includes perhaps a land bridge to Crimea and perhaps a port, specifically Mariupol," Clapper responded. 



He said an attack on Mariupol wouldn't take place before the spring because separatists are still reconstituting and regrouping after the major confrontation in Debaltseve that they recently captured from the Ukrainian army. 



Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart who also testified, agreed with Clapper saying Russians will take a position against any lethal aid or attempts to bolster the equation in the region. 



"We couldn't deliver lethal aid sufficiently and quickly enough to change the military balance of power on the ground," he said. 



Pressed by lawmakers, Stewart said Russia and the separatists have significant interior lines in Ukraine where they can resupply a lot faster with a lot heavier weapons than the U.S. could deliver. 



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