Defense Sec. nominee Ashton Carter backs arming Ukraine


Ashton Carter, President Obama's nominee to replace Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, on Wednesday endorsed the idea of offering lethal assistance to Ukraine.
"We need to support the Ukrainians in defending themselves," Carter said in his confirmation hearing, adding that he was "very much inclined" to arm Ukrainian troops in their conflict with pro-Russian rebels.
The Obama administration has so far provided Ukraine only with non-lethal assistance, though it signaled this week it would consider sending Kiev weapons as well.
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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
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