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| John Kerry to hold talks in Ukraine, as US mulls arms supplies | John Kerry to hold talks in Ukraine, as US mulls arms supplies |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| US Secretary of State John Kerry is to hold talks in Ukraine, as Washington mulls whether to start sending weapons to help Kiev fight pro-Russian rebels. | US Secretary of State John Kerry is to hold talks in Ukraine, as Washington mulls whether to start sending weapons to help Kiev fight pro-Russian rebels. |
| Ashton Carter, the White House's choice for defence secretary, earlier said he was "inclined" to start supplying arms. | Ashton Carter, the White House's choice for defence secretary, earlier said he was "inclined" to start supplying arms. |
| The US has so far only provided "non-lethal" assistance to Ukraine. | |
| Meanwhile, Nato is set to unveil what the bloc's chief says are "the biggest reinforcement" of its "collective defence since the end of the Cold War". | |
| At a meeting in Brussels, Nato defence ministers will seek to reassure the alliance's nations in Eastern Europe and to deter a potential Russian threat to the Baltic states or other bloc members should the crisis in Ukraine spin out of control, the BBC's Jonathan Marcus reports. | |
| Our correspondent says a brigade-sized spearhead force is to be established - about 4,000-5,000-strong. Its lead units will be able to move east at two days' notice. | |
| Small command centres are also to be set up in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland Bulgaria and Romania. | |
| Russia denies accusations by Ukraine and the West that it is arming the rebels in eastern Ukraine and sending its regular troops across the border. | |
| 'President interested' | 'President interested' |
| Mr Kerry Mr Kerry will meet Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk in Ukraine's capital Kiev on Thursday morning. A news conference is expected later in the day. | |
| The issue of weapons deliveries to Ukraine and other US assistance is expected to be one of the main items on the agenda. | The issue of weapons deliveries to Ukraine and other US assistance is expected to be one of the main items on the agenda. |
| Mr Kerry will then travel to Munich to take part in the annual security conference in the southern German city. | Mr Kerry will then travel to Munich to take part in the annual security conference in the southern German city. |
| On Wednesday, Mr Carter, who previously served as deputy secretary of defence, appeared in front of the Senate Armed Service committee to be questioned before a wider Senate vote. | On Wednesday, Mr Carter, who previously served as deputy secretary of defence, appeared in front of the Senate Armed Service committee to be questioned before a wider Senate vote. |
| "I'm very much inclined in that direction, mister chairman, because I think we need to support the Ukrainians in defending themselves," Mr Carter said when asked by Senator John McCain if he supported delivering "defensive weapons" to Ukraine. | "I'm very much inclined in that direction, mister chairman, because I think we need to support the Ukrainians in defending themselves," Mr Carter said when asked by Senator John McCain if he supported delivering "defensive weapons" to Ukraine. |
| "The nature of those arms, I can't say right now," he added. | "The nature of those arms, I can't say right now," he added. |
| White House spokesman Josh Earnest later stressed that President Obama - not Mr Carter - would make the final decision on the issue. | White House spokesman Josh Earnest later stressed that President Obama - not Mr Carter - would make the final decision on the issue. |
| But Mr Earnest added: "The president is certainly interested in the view, the opinion and the insight of his national security team, including what we hope will be his soon-to-be-confirmed new secretary of defence, and the president will certainly take that advice into account." | But Mr Earnest added: "The president is certainly interested in the view, the opinion and the insight of his national security team, including what we hope will be his soon-to-be-confirmed new secretary of defence, and the president will certainly take that advice into account." |
| The White House has accused Russia of fighting a proxy war - but has reportedly expressed fears that sending in weapons could trigger a tense confrontation with Russia and escalate the conflict. | The White House has accused Russia of fighting a proxy war - but has reportedly expressed fears that sending in weapons could trigger a tense confrontation with Russia and escalate the conflict. |
| However, President Barack Obama is now said to be reconsidering his position, accusing Russia of escalating the conflict in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. | |
| Fighting has intensified in recent weeks - leaving a September ceasefire in tatters. | |
| Earlier this week a group of former senior US officials and officers urged a major increase in military assistance, including providing light-armour missiles designed to take out tanks and armoured vehicles. | |
| And on Tuesday, a group of US senators called on President Obama and Nato "to rapidly increase military assistance to Ukraine to defend its sovereign borders against escalating Russian aggression". | And on Tuesday, a group of US senators called on President Obama and Nato "to rapidly increase military assistance to Ukraine to defend its sovereign borders against escalating Russian aggression". |
| Fighting in eastern Ukraine began last April, when separatists seized government buildings after Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula. | |
| More than 5,000 people have been killed in the conflict. | More than 5,000 people have been killed in the conflict. |