Hagel rules out military solution for Ukraine conflict

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel Thursday ruled out a military solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
“This issue is not going to be resolved militarily,” he told a press conference on the sidelines of a NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels.
“This issue , the Russian aggression in Ukraine has to be resolved differently. ..We and all the powers involved will have to make decisions based on where we think the best and most effective path is for the longer term resolution,” said Hagel who is attending his last NATO ministerial meeting as US defence secretary.
He avoided answering a question if the US will supply weapons to Ukraine saying that the assistance to Ukraine has to be “continuously reviewed.” “We are reviewing the kind of assistance for Ukraine. The US has committed USD 320 million assistance for Ukraine this year,” he added.
Analysts here opine that as German and French leaders are visiting Kiev today with a new peace initiative for Ukraine it would be very inappropriate for the Americans to announce that they would be sending weapons to Ukraine.